Tempt Me Vicious
by Mocktail
Summary: Mystery and lust consumes her when the third wheel consumes her boyfriend. She's off to a new adventure with someone who is toxic, addictive and absolute poison. What will happen when her ex finds out? Slightly OOC; RW/HG turns HG/DM - Rated M to be safe.
1. Silhouettes

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

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CHAPTER 1: SILHOUETTES

"Ron, _please_ don't bother. I can handle this myself," frowned Hermione Granger, with her wavy brown hair settling back down against her neat black robes. She gave Ron a warning look after he tried to carry her luggage for her, along with _his_ luggage simultaneously. He'd already dragged both bags up the stairs, and the whole house could hear Molly Weasley yelling at him, right over the crashing of her suitcases against the steps.

The noise settled down when Mrs. Weasley went outside. Hermione looked around. The place had changed quite a bit since she'd last been here. Yes, it still had its cozy home-like feel and atmosphere, but something just bugged Hermione. She didn't feel very at home. Perhaps it was the way Mrs. Weasley yelled at Ron, about five minutes into the house or how Harry wasn't here yet. She took a seat on the mattress of the single bed in the room she would share with Ginny Weasley; that overlooked the Burrow. The light filtered through the window. The sun wasn't very bright, nor was it too dim either. In fact, the weather outside was in between sunny and cloudy, with occasional warm breezes that would gently ripple by.

Ron cleared his throat as he sat beside Hermione, causing a slight creaking noise in the springy mattress. He saw her pretty face, with a look of clouded judgment and discomfort, almost. He placed his hand on top of hers, rested against her knee. He thought he heard a small sigh escape her pink lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she sighed, looking into Ron's loving eyes. They were beautiful, as was his caring personality. But it was also lackluster since the dust had settled and Hermione was wondering about what to do now. She'd just returned from a trip to Europe with her parents and she couldn't help but wonder how intimately posed some of the statues were there – specifically, the Greek ones. It wasn't something she'd thought about too much because she was rather prude. But she shouldn't have let it get to her head. What if Ron was expecting…_something_ from her? She bit her lip.

"You're worried about another year at Hogwarts, huh?" he asked, brushing some of his girlfriend's hair off of her shoulder. "I'll be by your side."

He leaned in for a kiss against her cheek. Hermione tilted her head his way and gazed at him. He probably expected a full-on kiss, but she hadn't done so. Instead, she threw her arms around him and fell into his embrace, his warm hands and how he smelled a bit like a spice. Ron was someone she could depend on, but was not at all _that_ interesting in her eyes. But maybe it was because she'd known him for so long that nothing about him really fazed her. She was used to him.

"I love you," he said softly, as she ran his hair through Hermione's hair, creating an aroma of vanilla that filled his nostrils. Somehow, Hermione couldn't say those words right back, and it disturbed her. When she'd opened her mouth, she felt as if she was choking. Perhaps Ron was expecting her to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth. Instead, their silent moment was disturbed by an "ahem", that came from the door. Immediately, Hermione pulled back and flushed as she spotted a smiling Ginny Weasley at the door, with her arms folded across her chest. Her older brother Ron turned around and gave her a look, as if to say "Blimey Ginny, why walk in on us?"

Good thing they weren't really doing anything. Hermione looked at Ginny. She was surprised that she could even do that instead of looking down at her knees. Ginny had grown taller, prettier, and bustier as well. She was dressed in a faded blue sweater and loose gray sweatpants.

"Oh come on, Ron. Don't give me that look," she smirked sourly, she then looked at Hermione and changed her tone of voice into a sweet one. "Hello Hermione, feel free to make yourself at home. Just, not in front of me when you're with Ron."

She made it sound like a joke, but it sounded more like a rude comment, to Hermione's ears.

"Thank you," she responded coldly, watching Ginny's gaze trail back to Ron.

"Mum says we'll have lunch soon," she grinned, with her red hair like a blur as she walked out. Hermione sighed to herself when she heard Ginny's footsteps go down the stairs, gradually diminishing into nothing. She turned back to Ron, who had a hopeful look in his eyes. She looked at his lips, a dark pink, slightly chapped. She bit her own soft, pink lips and noticed that he had his eyes on hers as well.

"Look Ron, umm, we should go downstairs. See if your mum needs help," she shrugged nervously.

"'Mione, what's gotten into you?" he asked, edging closer to her as he placed an arm around her shoulder. "Are you unhappy with me right now?"

"No," she responded. She didn't know if it was a lie or not. She wasn't _unhappy_, she just wasn't _that_ happy. Could she say that being with him was just "okay"?

"Then why do you have to be s– _ugh_, never mind!" he frowned. He got up and stormed out of the room, leaving a frowning Hermione sitting on the bed, leaving her to smooth the wrinkles out of the blue and white tartan patterned comforter that lay beneath her.

-

"Thank you for having us over, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione kindly, as she took a sip of her milk. She sat across from Ron and beside Harry. Ron ignored Hermione's comment, while Harry was smiling good-naturedly. All Ron was doing was digging through his onion soup and occasionally looking up to refill his plate of mashed potatoes and chicken.

"Oh no, Hermione, there's no need to say that. It's such a pleasure having you and Harry over," she giggled girlishly, while looking at both of them, who returned a nervous smile. She was sitting at the other end of the table beside her husband Arthur, who would be leaving for work in a couple minutes. He was a nice fellow, dressed in slightly tattered green robes. He looked at his wife over his glasses.

"Molly loves company," he grinned, planting a light kiss on her cheek. "Well, I must be off now; it was great having you over, Harry and Hermione."

"Goodbye," they said in unison.

Ron ignored Hermione when she kicked him from across the table. Was he still unhappy with her? She rolled her eyes, feeling as if she'd lost her appetite. However, she'd be bound to be hungry later and she also didn't want anyone to worry, especially Mrs. Weasley, who was such a sweetheart. But every time she looked down at her plate of mashed potatoes and gravy, she just didn't feel like eating. It wasn't that she didn't like Mrs. Weasley's cooking or anything. In fact, her cooking was incredible.

"So…are you excited to be going back to Hogwarts?" queried Mrs. Weasley with a light chuckle. The table was silent. Usually, Ron would be making a remark, but he was grumbling. It wasn't a very good thing for him to do, especially since there were guests around, even if those guests were his best friends.

"Yes," responded Harry earnestly. What else could he say? "Mrs. Weasley, your cooking is delicious."

"Why thank you, at least _some _people appreciate my cooking," she grinned, her sweet voice turning into a slightly angrier one as she stared at her children. She then returned to Harry. "You may have as much as you like!"

"Oh Mum!" frowned Fred Weasley, rolling his eyes in a sing-song voice.

"I will not have another word of it!" she continued, shrugging off Fred's comment.

"I'd like to be excused," frowned Ron, getting up. Hermione glared at him. Ron wasn't looking back at her, but a confused expression was on Harry's face. Mrs. Weasley's eyes were wide as her eyes followed Ron's actions. The table was silent, other than the light tapping of utensils against plates and swallowing. As Ron's chair creaked when he tucked it under the table, he disappeared upstairs, with his footsteps louder than his mother yelling after him.

"Ronald Weasley!"

"Mrs. Weasley, I'll go talk to him."

Hermione volunteered with her soft voice sounded like angels compared to Mrs. Weasley's, who gained her composure after having a fit. The whole table seemed to be frozen now, as they all watched Hermione walk off, her footsteps much quieter than Ron's. And just when she reached the top of the stairs, she thought she heard Fred and George talking again, followed by a giggle from Ginny. Hermione wished that she could be down there again because the atmosphere had softened up. But Ron was her boyfriend and her best friend so it was her duty to talk to him and comfort him.

"What do you want?" he asked flatly, standing by the entrance of his bedroom. He had his arms folded across his chest but Hermione could hardly make out his features, he was just a dark silhouette.

"What's wrong, Ron?" she asked, almost squeaked as she walked closer to him.

"The fact that you've been so bloody distant lately, that's what!" he responded loudly. His voice was so loud that Hermione thought that everyone downstairs could hear him. She bit her lip.

"What do you mean?" she asked stupidly.

"You haven't written to me all summer. And now when you see me, you seem unhappy. What's up with that?" he snapped, rolling his eyes. He ran his hair through his red hair and looked down at his feet.

"So…you're breaking up with me, huh?" asked Hermione, almost frowning. She felt embarrassed to have all this drama occur all of a sudden. Maybe _Ron_ wasn't feeling as if he liked her that much either. Maybe he found her boring. But no, he said he loved her. Boys were so complicated, thought Hermione. She placed a hand on her hip, forming a light silhouette of the curve at her slender waist.

"No, I'm actually expecting you to dump _me_, 'Mione," he whispered. He walked closer to Hermione with a saddened expression, not that Hermione could make it out or anything. She motioned Ron to sit beside her on his bed. She patted it. Ron reluctantly took the seat. The sun shone brighter now, illuminating the room. Hermione could see clearly how Ron was hurt. She felt bad.

"Ron, why did you have to be so angry all of a sudden?" she asked him, crossing her legs, as well as her arms, forming a pout with her lips.

They were back in that exact moment as earlier, when they were staring at each other's mouths. Hermione flushed pink as Ron snaked an arm around her waist. She didn't know where this was supposed to end up. In fact, she just had this gut feeling that made her slightly queasy.

"Because…"

"Because what?"

His slightly chapped lips fell on top of her soft, pink ones, causing Hermione to moan for a moment in surprise. She felt his fingers brush through her hair, and his chest on her own, moving up and down from his breathing. Those fingers trailed down the curve of her back and down her thigh, causing goose bumps to form all over her body. She'd forgotten all about Ron's kisses and his warmth. But even as she was melting into him, at the corner of her might, something was telling her to stop. It was all him. In fact, Hermione still felt queasy from his close contact with her. She didn't want him, did she? And it hurt her because of the guilt that was overwhelming her.

"Merlin, Hermione! You're so beautiful," whispered Ron, as he slid his hand back up her thigh again. Her legs were covered with black stockings, and under his touch, Hermione shuddered. At the same time her head was tilted back and she felt his lips at her neck, while his fingers in chorus, rubbed her behind, making her mewl.

"Ron, we should go back downstairs, they're probably worried," continued Hermione, which teased Ron. He obviously wanted to continue, while Hermione obviously didn't. Having anyone touch her like that would make her feel amazing. But this was _Ron_. She felt like she had a brother touching her every time he kissed or stroked her.

"Okay, I'll race you there," he smirked, getting up and dashing away.

"You idiot," she giggled, her smile turning into a frown as he was out the door.


	2. Outlines

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: I know things may not seem as if it should be Rated M, but things might change! It's Rated M just in case. Thanks for reading, and please review as well!_

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CHAPTER 2: OUTLINES

"Hermione, are you awake?" queried Ginny Weasley's quiet little voice. It was dark, and the night had swept over the Burrow. The house was silent, excluding the gossiping and murmuring in the bedrooms, as well as the conversation downstairs between Harry and Mr. Weasley.

Hermione could hear Ginny's body turning by the creaking from her mattress, her dark pink comforter wrinkling up – not that it was totally visible in the dark or anything.

"What is it, Ginny?" responded Hermione. She'd almost fallen asleep until Ginny had spoken. Hermione's voice was close to inaudible, but Ginny could still hear her despite this. There were at least a few meters of space between them.

"I just wanted to tell you that I know about the little fight that you and Ron had. He told Harry and me after dinner today. He really _does_ love you, you know," she whispered, turning her body over a little bit more.

"He said that he did," murmured Hermione. "And I'm not feeling in the mood to talk right now. Besides, we made up and we'll be leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow so we should get a good night's rest. Goodnight, Ginny."

Ginny felt a little insulted that Hermione just ended off on that note. Perhaps she was tired and really wanted rest, but she didn't like the way she was treated, nor did she like the way Hermione was giving off a strange vibe. She decided that she'd be getting to the bottom of this, even if this meant that she'd be getting her hands dirty. Her heart was as fiery as her hair, and that was a possible explanation for her personality.

-

The clock struck 11:00, a toot sounded from the Hogwarts Express. Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny sat together in a compartment. They'd just said goodbye to Mrs. Weasley, who was all smiles as she waved goodbye. She'd been kind enough to accompany them to the train station, along with Fred and George who were cracking up with jokes on the way with any chance they had. The students would surely miss Fred and George's humour, even though it wasn't _that_ funny.

"You know, Hogwarts sure will be different this year," grinned Ron Weasley, dressed in a thin black robe on top of his dark pants and olive green sweater. His bottom sunk into the comfortable seats of the train. He had his hand rested on top of Hermione's, though she'd seemed hesitant to respond to his stroking as he'd glided his coarse thumb over her knuckles.

"And why do you say that?" queried Ginny. She sat beside Harry, who was nodding as well.

"Mum heard that there will be a Masked Ball this year. It should be here in the next week or so. Rumour's going around that it will be planned by the ghosts and teachers. It seems fun, if you ask me," he replied contently, throwing Hermione a look. She gave him a one-sided smile, almost resembling a smirk.

"A Masked Ball sounds fun," smiled Harry, his eyes crinkling slightly as he said this.

"It does," agreed Ginny. She'd secretly wished that Harry would ask her to be his date for the ball. After all, though her little crush on him was beginning to disappear, she'd sometimes still daydream about him and have fantasies about them dancing together and kissing. A goofy smile spread across her face. She placed a lock of her fiery red hair over one of her ears as she cleared her throat.

"Okay…well, what else is new, other than the ball?" asked Harry, eager to veer away from Ginny's possible suggestion that they'd be going together. He thought he noticed Ginny's lips form a pout when he'd changed the topic. Perhaps he was just conceited about thinking Ginny would want _him_ to ask her. But then again, who _wouldn't_ want to go with boy wonder?

"Who knows? I suppose we'll find out when we're there. Besides, the students will be getting sorted into their respective houses," replied Hermione quite eagerly, also wishing to escape the topic of the ball.

As an eerie stillness blanketed the four friends, the door to their compartment suddenly burst open. Ginny squealed as Ron gripped Hermione's hand so tightly she thought that it'd turn purple. They looked at the door with frightened expressions and expected to see someone more unfriendly, possibly Draco Malfoy. But it wasn't him. Instead, the smiling faces of Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom awaited their gaze. Harry smiled back, while Ginny's face was still showing a shocked expression. Ron had his eyebrows raised at how Neville looked so different. His face was longer; his eyes had a brighter sheen, and he'd seemed to have grown taller and thicker as well since his robes were slightly too short. Though he still possessed a lack of confidence, his overall look seemed to make up for it.

"Hello," beamed Luna, as she began to smooth the wrinkles in her silvery blue robes, almost the same shade as her eyes. She had this goodness and radiance that made her unique from different girls; although in this case, her bright outfit reminded Ron about the uniforms that the Beauxbaton girls had. He thought about Fleur Delacour for a moment.

"Hello Luna, hi Neville," said the group of them, in an awkward unison. Ginny's eyes were focused on Luna's radish earrings, which hadn't matched her outfit at all. But despite that, Luna looked like an angel with her long blonde hair, which seemed to be wavy and unkempt as usual. Her pale skin was even paler in the reflection of the light that filtered through the window in their compartment.

"We'll see you soon. We should get back," smiled Neville, staring down the aisle, trying to make sure that nobody snuck into his compartment that he shared with Luna and some first years.

"Goodbye," said Harry, who was the only one that could open his mouth at that moment.

As the compartment door slid closed with a light crash, Ron broke into instantaneous laughter. Hermione rolled her eyes playfully and swatted at his shoulder, querying upon his immaturity. He shrugged her swat off and continued to laugh while receiving mixed reactions from his friends.

"What are you laughing at, Ron?" asked Ginny, biting her lip as she'd asked Hermione's question for her.

"Have you seen Neville? He's like a new man!" snorted Ron, trying to wipe his tears of laughter.

"Do you reckon he's going out with Luna?" queried Harry nosily with a smile plastered across his handsome face. It was unlike him to mention this but based on the way Neville had changed into a man and how Luna could actually be deemed as "pretty" instead of "sometimes pretty", he thought that it was necessary to think so.

"Nah, they weren't holding hands or anything," replied Ginny flatly.

The topic shortly ended after Ron's laughter ceased and his hand was rested on top of Hermione's again though this time, she'd moved it away and folded her arms across her chest and pretended to fall sleep as her head was rested against the window. Ron pretended not to be embarrassed when Ginny's eyes widened. Heck, why wasn't his girlfriend leaning against his shoulder? He was her _boyfriend_ after all!

-

"Blimey, Pansy! I told you that I'm _not_ interested. We were over during the summer and we're _still _over. What do you not get?" thundered Draco Malfoy, shoving his ex-girlfriend away as she tried to kiss him again. It was just him and Pansy in a compartment aboard the Hogwarts Express. As soon as they were in the compartment and closed the door behind them, Pansy made a move on him in hopes that he would wish to get back together with her again. He couldn't believe how gullible he was when he actually believed her when she said that she only wanted to be friends with him and that she'd show it to him aboard the train.

"I don't get how we're over! You sent your owl over and said you wanted to break up. Bloody hell, how does that work? Who breaks up like that?" she cried, her eyes tearing up as she buttoned up her shirt, sitting across from a red-faced Draco.

"I am no longer interested in you and didn't want to drag it on for the rest of the summer. You know how our mothers are. If you want to be friends, fine. If you want something more, then no," he responded curtly, trying not to raise his voice, although he was extremely tempted to do so. He didn't want the whole train knowing about this. They'd probably assumed that they were dating last year anyways. But having Pansy sob about and yell at him was rather embarrassing. Why hadn't he sat with Crabbe and Goyle instead of Ms. Hormonal here?

"I don't see how we can be friends, I only see us as lovers!" she continued. Her black hair was a mess and the eyeliner around her watery dark brown eyes was beginning to smudge around, giving her raccoon eyes. Draco was going to cast a spell to fix her face up, but he decided not to. This girl was way too persistent and way too annoying. She didn't deserve his pity.

"Then we'll be neither," he responded with clenched teeth. His gray eyes were wide with anger. How clear did he have to make this?

"Fine!" she shot back, clearly insulted and humiliated. She was definitely overreacting because Draco knew that in a couple of hours, she'd be back with him, kissing his feet. He closed his eyes and pretended to fall asleep. He would have loved to glare and spite Pansy but there were a couple of problems with that. One, he'd technically be watching her dress. Two, he'd have to stare into her eyes and if she did something stupid again, she'd break into another bawl. Three, he decided not to care about her feelings. So the least he could do was let her silently break down on the inside until her walls crumbled. He'd rather have that than have her break down _his_ walls with her whining.

Cruel and heartless was his signature personality. But personalities can still surely change.


	3. Figures

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for reading! Please note that the descriptions of some of the secondary characters may not be totally accurate since their physical appearances are not described in detail throughout the series._

CHAPTER 3: FIGURES

Ron's cold lips brushed against Hermione's ear as they sat in the carriage together along with Luna, Harry, Ginny and Neville; pulled along by the Thestrals, which were only visible to those who'd witnessed a death. They'd be on their way to Hogwarts castle now. It was night time and the moon was just in crescent form. It glowed so brightly in the sky, filled with hope, yet so alone and distant. Hermione turned around to look at Ron, into his great blue eyes. Hermione kissed the spot on his cheek with a couple freckles, forcing him to blush in the dark. It's just a peck, thought Hermione.

"Are you cold?" asked Ron, looking at his girlfriend, who was snuggling close to him. She pretended not to notice Ginny looking her way. She was sitting beside Neville who was trying to tell her, Harry and Luna about his summer. Sadly, she wasn't really paying attention.

"No," lied Hermione, shivering.

Ron put an arm around her. Usually, she wasn't for snuggling. In fact, she'd always tried to keep up an image of herself being independent. But it was chilly, and so comfortable in Ron's arms. It felt brotherly, and so wrong for Hermione to lead him on like this.

"Hey Luna, would you like my robe?" asked Harry, turning to Luna for a moment. Her eyes almost shone like white in the dark. The silvery sheen in her eyes grew brighter as ever as she nodded. So he took off his robe and placed it over Luna's silvery blue-clad shoulders. She thanked him with a light blush in her cheeks. Ginny's face was ashen in surprise. She was also slightly depressed that nobody had offered _their_ robe to her. She wanted to speak with Harry, who just seemed to avoid the topics of love and relationships. She tried to think about the possibilities of him fancying her. Well, sometimes in relationships, guys liked to avoid the girl because they were nervous. But was Harry like that?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden stop of the carriage. They were here – Hogwarts, a new year and possibly a new beginning. The castle was dark and slightly spooky at night. The first years must have been intimidated by it. The night around them grew a little brighter when they were escorted off of their carriages. The gate itself had a torch on either side.

"I guess it was _me_ that was wrong all long then, huh?" exclaimed a whiny voice from the carriage behind them that killed the silence of the hushed whispers from fellow students. Hermione turned around and noticed two figures in a war of whispers. They weren't _that_ disruptive, and anyone past Hermione's carriage probably wouldn't hear anything.

"Why are you making such a fuss about it?" countered the second figure. It was a male voice. That's when Ron turned around as well and he thought he saw a very flustered Pansy Parkinson, refusing to break down into sobs though he knew that she would probably have a great bawl about it later. It was difficult to tell who it was in the dark, despite the fact that they were in a brighter area.

"Because _I _don't want to break up! Draco, you really hurt me, you know!" whispered Pansy huskily. Hermione and Ron noticed Pansy reach out to Draco Malfoy in sniffles. He had a pained expression on his face when Pansy gripped onto his wrists as if her life depended on it. He was tempted to use a spell on her but he couldn't – not here, not now, not in front of everyone.

"Bug off!" he growled, shoving off a crying Pansy. When he was released from her grasp, he massaged his wrists gently to alleviate the pain. Stupid girl, he thought. Pansy continued to break into short sobs as she fell to the ground, growing hysterical. Draco was callous enough to walk away without turning back or giving her a look. When he reunited with Crabbe and Goyle, they walked into the castle without a word about Pansy.

-

"Slytherin!" bellowed the Sorting Hat, as it sat upon the final student that needed to be sorted into their respective house. The sickly boy that sat on the stool got up and walked to the Slytherin table as they clapped respectfully after the hat was off his head. As Hermione passed a look to Ron for grazing the inside of her thigh, she noticed that Pansy Parkinson stumbled her way into the Great Hall, about an hour late. She'd missed the sorting but she hadn't missed the meal. All this time she was sobbing in the bathroom and wiping her tears off when she could have simply just cast a spell to wipe away her tears – though the only problem with that would be that her eyes would be red and swollen.

And they were.

Poor Pansy squeezed into a seat that her friends saved for her. They asked her what was wrong but she gave them false smiles, reassuring them that everything was fine. Usually her expression was angry and glaring, but for the first time, the public had seen her emotions shine through. Pansy Parkinson had feelings. Who would've known?

"I guess it's over between them, huh?" whispered Ron, who was looking at Hermione with a confused expression on his face. Hermione nodded, focused on Draco's insensitivity to Pansy. Having Draco's personality was something she'd never want to have. Then again, if she'd had thoughts about hurting Ron then maybe she wasn't such an angel after all.

"Yep, poor Pansy," frowned Hermione. She surprised herself by letting these words escape her pink lips. She waited a while as she watched Professor Dumbledore rise up from the front of the hall, his silvery beard growing longer with age.

His speech was encouraging, filled with wit and slight humour. Though some Slytherin may have been bored to death, it was always a respectful thing to listen to what a headmaster had to say, and that's just what they did. After he welcomed back returning students and the first years, a magical spell was cast in the room that let food appear on the tables beside plates. There were varieties of cheeses, dips, vegetables, chicken and potatoes. Ron and Hermione noticed the gobsmacked look on the first years' faces. Ron and Hermione surely remembered _their_ first year, when the food had just magically appeared before them. In fact, they were still surprised at the way the food filled the Great Hall so quickly despite the constant routine they'd gone through.

The first years began chattering immediately while Ron gave Hermione a goofy grin. She smiled back nervously as she stared at the next table, spotting Draco Malfoy staring right back at her, silvery gray eyes boring into her soul. She blinked twice. Maybe they were being really loud _or_ perhaps he knew that Hermione and Ron saw the whole fight he and Pansy had earlier. Whatever his reason was, it made tingles go down Hermione's spine. He was rather intimidating, but she glared right back, daring him to do something.

"Hey 'Mione, can I come over to your dorm tonight?" whispered Ron, as he pressed his mouth close to Hermione's ear. She blushed and wore an uncomfortable expression, not noticing Draco's knowing smirk in the distance. Silly mudblood, he thought. Hermione tried to smile at Ron, shifting a bit in her seat.

"I don't see how that'd be very convenient. You see, I share a dorm room," she replied, making excuses for herself.

"Then the other girls will just have to leave," he grinned flirtatiously. Hermione feared this side of him a bit. It was the side that would make her feel uncontrollably uncomfortable. It was the side that she didn't like seeing in him because he was like a brother to her. And a brother kissing a sister was well, something that turned Hermione off.

"Yeah, I don't think so," replied Hermione. Her tone of voice turned into a more hushed one, giving Ron her wide-eyed look. It was the look that he'd have to pay attention to if he wanted to avoid her ignoring him. "Look, we have classes tomorrow anyways."

"But we can socialize afterwards, in the common room," he continued.

"Okay, then we'll be there with everyone else," she nodded, eyes narrowing.

-

"Flobberworm," whispered Harry, before the portrait of the Fat Lady, which guarded their common room. As she admitted him and his friends' entrance, they were greeted by their friends Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan.

The roaring fireplace was before them in the Gryffindor common room. Red velvety couches laden with cushions surrounded the fireplace on a neat patterned rug. Padma and Parvati Patil were sitting there, giggling and gossiping. Whispering students and bewildered first years crowded the large room as well, stepping over the dark hardwood floor. Surprisingly, there were only a couple of them here. The whole atmosphere brought back such fond memories though. As Hermione paced off, she felt his boyfriend link his fingers through hers. She'd actually tried to escape him for a moment. She turned around and stared into his freckly face, trying not to frown or give him a disgusted look. They'd be so much better as best friends, she thought. This relationship was actually damaging her thoughts of him.

"Now how about you live up to your word?" whispered Ron, staring at her with his great blue eyes.

"_Here_, in front of everyone?" queried Hermione, her eyebrows raised.

"Well, nobody ever pays attention to us anyways," he replied, pulling her closer to him. "Besides, there aren't a lot of us here."

"We'll surely creep the first years out," she winced. Why did he have to be so persistent?

She may as well have given in though. She didn't want Ron to ask Harry to lend them his Invisibility Cloak for a moment anyways. When they made sure that nobody was looking, they hid on an angle beside a bookshelf, near the corner of the room, where nobody ever stayed unless they were totally wasted from Firewhiskey or something of the sort. In the background, Hermione could hear Ginny giggling at joke that Seamus told. At least there was nothing to worry about.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" he groaned, placing his hand on the small of Hermione's back to stable her, while running his other hand through her wispy brown bangs, brushing them out of her face.

"Yeah, well…I don't know why you'd want to randomly do this," she frowned. Just because she wasn't a guy, she wouldn't exactly understand the way their minds worked. She fidgeted with a stain on her robe. It was from dinner, when Ron was making her so uncomfortable.

Ron's smiling lips trailed up Hermione's neck, forcing her to pant from nervousness. She felt a slight discomfort from his chapped lips. But as she'd grown used to his sloppiness, her lips met his, mashed together. His breath tasted like pudding, while hers tasted a lot like mint. Ron took in the aroma of Hermione's hair – vanilla. Their lips continued to crush against each other as Ron moaned in her mouth when his tongue was pressed along Hermione's, as if their tongues were dueling with each other. She felt a jolt inside of her, like a security alarm when he'd done this and the ringing in her ears was even more apparent to her when he began to slide his hand up her skirt, hitching it up. She pressed a liquid sigh against his lips. She was lucky that they were with company in the common room. If they weren't, Ron could have grown a little feistier in their loneliness.

Then again, maybe it wouldn't have been so lucky if someone had spotted them doing this. First of all, Hermione was totally prude in most people's eyes. And two, it would have been embarrassing and a total violation of their privacy. Conversely, it would've been their fault to make out in the common room in the first place.

"Ron, maybe we should stop. There are people around, you know," panted Hermione. Her chest was pressed against his as she felt his hardness rub against her hip. She felt him trail his fingers up her stockings, touching the sensitive part of her that made her bite her lip, trying hard to suppress a moan as her rubbed her there. He grinned to himself as she did this and once again pressed his lips against hers. When she whimpered, he took this as a sign of encouragement, and had his hand roam further up north, around her waist, the naked flesh that was warm and inviting. Goosebumps formed wherever he touched her.

"I love you," he whispered, before kissing her again. She wasn't kissing back this time, but she wasn't exactly pushing him away either. She'd felt some tears well up in her eyes for letting him take advantage of her like that. Yes, it would have been fine if she loved him back. But she hadn't. And it was her fault for not calling the lines and stopping him.

"Ron, I have to go," she frowned. Her legs were feeling weak and her knees felt like jelly. She felt like melting to the point where you'd have to throw her into a freezer to fix her up again. Ron frowned at her comment. A minute ago she was happy, and then she was cold. He let go of her.

"Why? I can walk you to your dorm if you're not feeling well," he said, clearly worried about his girlfriend.

"No umm, it's fine. I'm just feeling tired. I'll see you tomorrow," she grinned nervously, pecking him on the cheek. She just left him there, as if he was expected to wait there and hang until he collapsed. As she walked away on the somewhat creaky floorboards, she was a fair distance from everyone. But little did she know that Ginny Weasley was up to no good and following her around. Something was up with Hermione Granger, she thought, as she watched her friend fix up her clothes and wipe her lips with the back of her hand.

Something was _definitely _up.


	4. Depictions

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thank you for reading and your lovely reviews, as well as encouragement! I'll keep suggestions in mind and will update whenever I can. Also, I'm aware that some of the storyline may not fit with what really happens in the series. However, I try to keep it as relevant to the context of the book as possible._

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_CHAPTER 4: DEPICTIONS

Hermione Granger yawned as she rolled around in her warm velvety red cocoon. The air was slightly chillier today but still warm. On her tongue was a guilty feeling of kissing Ron Weasley last night. Even though she'd rinsed her mouth out about five times and brushed her teeth twice, the feeling would remain. This morning, her hair was unreasonably unkempt as she'd been rolling around all night, submerging into nightmares with Ron trying to get too close, showering her with love – as well as guilt. Something about that part made her see Draco Malfoy's silvery eyes again, glaring at her, as if he knew.

Her eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning, Hermione," grinned Lavender Brown in a sing-song voice, placing a lock of her curly brown hair behind her ear. Oh right, she shared the dorm room with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, recalled Hermione. She blinked twice and rolled around in her bed once more.

"'Morning, Lavender," replied Hermione, not bothering to look up. She thought she'd heard a tugging noise before bright lights bathed the room, forcing Hermione's eyes to squint up as she pulled the covers over her eyes.

"Oh come _on_, Lavender. Just let her sleep. It's about 8:00 already and class will start in an hour. We haven't even eaten yet," whined Parvati, who was giving a wide-eyed stare at her best friend.

"Okay," replied Lavender. Her hair was braided today, with a mustard yellow headband with a bow placed on an angle. The sun haloed her hair, making it glisten. Parvati surely must have complimented Lavender about it. She was a warm and friendly girl, interesting and quite appealing, if one might add.

Without any goodbyes, Hermione was left in the dorm all by herself. She could hear her own breathing, feel the rise and fall of her chest, and even the little rumblings that her stomach made. She was hungry. She couldn't lie to herself about that.

"Four more minutes," she whispered to herself.

-

"'Morning, 'Mione," smiled her boyfriend Ron Weasley as he kissed her on the lips in front of everyone. People weren't really watching but it sort of disturbed her anyways. She smiled at him nonetheless and greeted Harry, Ginny and Neville, who were nearby.

"I guess I was almost late for breakfast," nodded Hermione, as she watched Harry and Ginny both peel at mandarin oranges. They shrugged as Ginny blushed. Hermione noticed that Neville was still going through his oatmeal and Ron hadn't even begun his breakfast yet. Was he waiting _for_ her to get there? It was sweet of him, but unnecessary. She felt guilty that she'd kept him waiting.

Just as Hermione let guilt take over her once again, she noticed that hundreds of owls flew into the Great Hall, delivering parcels to the students from parents, relatives or friends. A blur of white, gray and brown filled the sky with parcels. Most of them were for first years, who were also gasping at the scenery of the room in the morning, with owls flying around. They'd probably forgotten to pack something, decided Hermione. As she looked up, she'd only spotted a few owls. As her gaze moved back down, Ron tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at him.

"We should start eating," smiled Ron, giving her a playful look.

"Right," replied Hermione nervously. She picked up her fork.

"Wow, you guys are inseparable," nodded Ginny, knowing exactly what she was saying. She wore an emotionless expression on her face. It was part of her plan anyways, to find out how Hermione genuinely felt for her brother. Right now, things weren't looking too good.

"Yeah, about that," smirked Hermione, giving Ron an equally playful look as she nudged him.

Ron smiled at her with a pink flush in his cheeks.

-

"So I'm assuming that you all have _Advanced Potion-Making_, correct?" asked Professor Slughorn, standing in the front of the classroom, fidgeting with a brass button on his velvety green and gold vest. Hermione seemed to zone out of his speech. She was good in her classes. In fact, everyone knew, and she knew, that she was one of the brightest of the wizards and witches at Hogwarts.

Nobody really responded, though a bright-eyed Hufflepuff blonde nodded enthusiastically at his question. Ron, who was beside Hermione, nearly wanted to gag! However, he was sitting beside Lavender Brown, who was busy tapping at him every few seconds to whisper with him…and, possibly flirting. Hermione rolled her eyes and pretended not to care. In fact, she was surprised that she _even_ cared. Perhaps the jealousy bug had come and bit her. But just as she looked at the desk on the other side of the empty aisle, she spotted Draco Malfoy, smiling sinisterly.

Nosy git, she thought.

She rolled her eyes as she tried not to puke at the conversation that Lavender was having with Ron.

"So Ron, how do you like Potions?" asked Lavender, in a higher, sweeter voice that Hermione knew was fake. Yes, Lavender was a good-natured and sweet girl. But this was _her_ boyfriend!

"Umm, I reckon it's alright," he replied, as he felt Lavender's shoulder brush against his for a second. He noticed that her hair smelled like roses and he blushed from their close contact. He edged over a little more, nearly knocking Hermione off of her seat. He whispered an apology. She rolled her eyes as he said this. Was this what _really_ happened in relationships – that a girl wouldn't have feelings for a guy until there was a third wheel? She wondered. But then again, she thought about what would happen if Lavender and Ron actually started to date. Then she could be friends with Ron and he wouldn't be mad at her if she ended up dumping him. She smiled to herself. It was a good plan, although she _did_ feel a speck of jealousy flowing through her veins. She returned to the eavesdropping as she pretended to be reading her textbook, which she'd already memorized inside out.

"Ron, I don't understand this. Could you explain this to me?" asked Lavender, in a hushed tone of voice. Hermione could still hear her.

"Umm, there are instructions on the next page," was his reply. Lavender blushed and placed a lock of her curly hair behind an ear and batted her eyelashes at Ron. He gave her a nervous smile. Blimey, he was with Hermione. Why was Lavender trying to butt in?

"Oh," she frowned stupidly.

Hermione smiled to herself and shook her head.

-

The end of class was signaled as Professor Slughorn slammed his textbook shut. Students rose from their seats and began to pack up with much noise, with chairs scraping against the floor, desks being pushed about and bags being jerked around. Hermione just wanted to get out of the classroom. Seeing and hearing Lavender flirt with Ron was highly humiliating and wasn't something one could listen to without gagging or laughing. Without saying goodbye, she marched off, ignoring Ron when he called out to her.

"Ron, so I still don't get what we're learning. Could you please explain to me while you walk me to my next class?" asked Lavender, her voice saccharine. She batted her thick eyelashes and her big blue eyes grew bigger than ever, which forced him to agree reluctantly. His voice at that point; much resembled a giant's groan.

Hermione mentally rolled her eyes as he agreed. She couldn't have cared less, she thought. However, she found herself feeling jealous _again_. She ignored what her mind was telling her and continued to walk through the halls of Hogwarts. She'd have a short break before heading off to Divination with Professor Trelawney. Shortly afterwards, she would likely be using the Time-Turner, a little necklace that would let her travel back in time to attend more classes.

As she continued to walk, she felt an arm grab her.

"What the –?" she yelled, cutting herself off as she turned around to face Draco Malfoy. She wanted to slap him for scaring her like that in public. What would people think if they saw them? She tried to break free of his grasp as she glared at him.

"Seems like you're losing your beau to Brown," he sneered, his silvery gray eyes intensely burning Hermione's brown ones as she was trying to glare right back at him. She found herself blushing as she did this and she wanted to kick herself for this. He was a Malfoy! But Malfoy or not, he could practically hear her brain ticking for a comeback. It had been a good minute or two before she could actually think of something.

"Lavender wouldn't do that to me," she snapped back, not truly believing her own words.

"I saw your discomfort in Potions. Must've been heartbreaking," he smirked, as he broke out in a venomous laughter, dropping Hermione's arm instantly as he picked up his knapsack and wondered off. Hermione frowned. She watched him walk off and couldn't help but feel a burning sensation from where he touched her.

"Better go wash your hands. Wouldn't want to get mudblood germs, would you?" murmured Hermione under her breath. But Draco was long gone and wouldn't have heard her otherwise.


	5. Blueprints

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thank you for your continued encouragement, __**firefairydog91**__, __**DaOnLeeSam**__ and __**jackiieee**_.

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CHAPTER 5: BLUEPRINTS

"So that's when she asked me to go to the Masked Ball with her," sighed Ron, resting his elbow against the armchair before the roaring fire, flames licking the warmth that stirred in the Gryffindor common room. It was the evening now. Some students were in here to finish homework, mostly to socialize, however. Ginny, Harry and Neville sat on the couch in an angled position beside him, listening attentively.

"But I'm pretty sure Hermione expects _you_ to go with her," suggested Ginny, folding her arms across her chest, which had grown a bit larger over the summer. Even some of the boys had noticed and would sometimes steal a few glances when she was bending over. But that was not the topic at hand, and Ron could only sigh queasily at what Hermione may have thought.

"Well, I told Lavender that we'd be going _just_ as friends. And she's aware that Hermione's my girlfriend," he whispered back, careful not to attract any negative attention from Parvati Patil, who was nearby chatting with Dean Thomas about some classes. Ron didn't want her to run off to Lavender and tell her what they were talking about seeing that they were best friends who confided in each other and all.

Neville's dark eyebrows knitted together as he opened his mouth.

"Have you talked to Hermione about this?" he asked meekly. He looked slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps the fire was too hot. He was dressed in a red sweater and khakis anyways. He began to twiddle his thumbs as he waited for someone to have the next word. Ron straightened up in his seat.

"In all honesty, no, I haven't. I just wish I hadn't said yes," he sighed, slouching once more as he rubbed his left eye. "But I couldn't have said no because she was practically bawling when I said that I was planning to go with Hermione. You know how she is; she has a very…polar personality."

Ron was trying to sound polite, but also didn't have another word to describe her personality. Lavender was a little odd. Sometimes she would be hyper and happy and then she could be cold and depressed, or bawling and breaking out in tears. If it was her way of getting attention, then surely it was working.

"Yeah," agreed Harry, opening his mouth for the first time in their short conversation. His hair was somewhat tousled, which some girls found attractive. But he didn't notice for he was just lounging around, not trying to look particularly handsome or anything.

"Who are you going to the Masked Ball with, Harry?" asked Neville politely, diverting the topic slightly. Ginny's ears caught onto the conversation. She sort of hoped that he would be asking her soon. But thus far, there'd been no real conversing between them other than hellos and goodbyes, which greatly disappointed her sometimes. An expression of optimism appeared on her face. Harry tried not to look at her as he replied.

"I'm going with Luna," he smiled, looking back at Neville. Ron nodded, his eyes widening.

Ginny's jaw nearly dropped when he's said this. He was going with _Loony_ Lovegood? Ginny knew that it was mean to think of this. Luna was a sweet person, she really was. It was just that she felt jealous that Harry hadn't considered _her_. What did Luna have that Ginny didn't – other than her eccentricities, of course! Now, she wouldn't hate Luna for this, but she'd be willing to give Harry the cold shoulder, if her fiery personality could persist on doing so.

"Ron, you should talk to Hermione about _your _plans for the ball. You wouldn't want a hormonal teenager to get cross with you or anything," suggested Ginny to her brother quite casually, definitely implying something in what she just said. Harry didn't seem to catch it since his face seemed so emotionless at that moment. However, even if he did, it wasn't like he could say anything.

"You're right, Gin," he nodded, before getting up. As he did this, Ginny took his seat and curled up in it in the most comfortable position she could find. She ignored Harry and Neville and closed her eyes, trying to think of a suitable way to deal with the legendary Harry Potter, who'd just seemed to have snubbed _her_ silently.

As Ron walked off to a seating area of two cherry oak desks jammed beside each other, he noticed that Hermione was busily scribbling away on her parchment as she was going through her textbook. Such a diligent worker, he thought. He wondered how she'd feel if he kissed the back of her neck before scaring the daylights out of her by pulling her out of her studies.

"Mm, hey," grinned Ron, as he whispered in Hermione's ear after kissing her.

"Hello," she replied, not looking up. Her eyebrows furrowed together. She needed to concentrate if she wanted to finish all her homework.

"Could I talk to you for just a moment?" he queried, wondering if Hermione would ever stop working. She looked up after folding her arms across her chest, clearly expecting a quick chat. But this would take a while, decided Ron. He didn't want to hurt or offend Hermione in any way. It wasn't as if he could just say, "Hey Hermione, I'm going to the ball with Lavender. I know you would've wanted to go with me but she was just so desperate she started to cry."

If he'd said _that_, he'd come off as egotistic and stupid. His mind conjured up all sorts of things to say, but he finally settled on being totally honest. He couldn't waste any of Hermione's time anyways. She took extra courses, for Merlin's sake!

"So about the Masked Ball that's coming up soon…"

"It's next week – in a several days, correct?"

"Yes, but…I don't think I'll be able to go with you."

Hermione nodded, trying to absorb all of this. She looked at him with a puzzled expression splashed on her face, which made Ron feel guiltier than he really was. He began to sweat while Hermione was _still_ looking at him like he'd just broken into Gringotts.

"And why is that?" she asked him slowly, placing a lock of her wavy brown hair behind one ear. She already had a beautiful mask for the ball and hoped that she wouldn't be clashing with Ron that day. Believe it or not, she really _did_ want to go with Ron. It would be fun an exciting and it wasn't as if Ron would try anything stupid in front of the entire student body. Even _with_ masks, only a couple of people had hair as red as a Weasley.

"I'm going with Lavender," he whispered, biting his bottom lip.

"Oh," replied Hermione. She was at a loss of words. She wasn't angry with him. Actually, she was sort of happy for him that he'd conjured up the guts to _not_ cling onto her that much. "That's nice."

"Wait, so you're not mad?" he asked rather quickly, raising one eyebrow. He felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. Was it _that_ hard to get someone to be jealous? He wasn't _trying_ to make Hermione envious of Lavender, but the least she could've done was pout or get a little flustered by his boldness.

"Nope, why would I be mad? I mean we're still dating, right?" she asked nervously. She found herself saying that last part with ingenuity though she was still attempting to care about her and Ron's relationship. She _did_ care, just not as much as he did.

"Yeah, I'm just going with Lavender as a friend. She insisted," he nodded, nervous about what Hermione would say to _that_ bold move.

"Okay. Just no funny business, do you promise?" she asked, throwing him her classic warning look. He nodded and she smiled at him, pecking him lightly on the lips before she turned around to face her work. But before she did, she opened her mouth again. "Oh, and promise me at least two dances."

"Alright, I think that can be arranged," replied Ron enthusiastically. He then furrowed his eyebrows together. "Why two?"

"Well, if you don't want to dance with me then that's fine," pouted Hermione. She then moved her lips closer to Ron's ear and whispered cunningly, "But I just want to see Lavender twice as jealous."

When she backed off, Ron slapped her arm lightly and Hermione felt obliged to laugh. But she hadn't. Something clicked at the back of her throat that prevented her from doing so. Shit, did she _like_ Ron Weasley more than she thought she did?

-

"Can you believe that Harry Potter asked _Loony_ to the ball with him?" asked Marietta Edgecombe, a sixth year Ravenclaw, who reclined against a Victorian styled couch, with its royal blue velvet clinging to her body. They were settled in the Ravenclaw common room, and gossiped about poor Luna Lovegood, who was in a corner of the room reading a book.

"Oh come on, don't be so harsh," replied Cho Chang, Marietta's best friend and Harry's previous love interest. She ran an index finger down her silky black bangs that were straight cut over her big eyes. She leaned against a print cushion as she nudged her friend. They were surrounded by their other friends. Cho was popular and it was no surprise that she'd already received date requests. It was like the Yule Ball all over again, which led to the eventual death of her beloved Cedric Diggory. Memories like that hurt her, but she tried not to think about it.

"I'm just saying the truth. How could anyone be attracted to _that_ girl?" spat Marietta, knowing that Luna was in hearing distance. But knowing Luna's concentration on the book she was reading, she probably zoned everything out around her. Cho bit her lip at Marietta's response. Sure, they were best friends but sometimes she could be cross with how she handled things. She watched her best friend coil a lock of curly hair around her index finger.

"She's not so bad," whispered Cho, turning around to look at Luna. In fact, she was pretty cute, but she didn't want to make Marietta seem too wrong. She knew that if she opened her mouth, everyone would agree with her whether they personally believed it or not. But seriously, Luna's pretty silvery blue eyes were filled with mystery and though she may have looked a little scary with too much makeup on, she wasn't _ugly_. She was just interesting looking and unique.

"Because you're sad that Harry hadn't asked _you_, right? His tastes have definitely changed," nodded Marietta. Cho tried to smile back. She actually felt bad for Luna at this point. She knew that Marietta could be snarky so it wasn't a surprise. But taking it out on innocent Luna was different. She wondered why she hadn't noticed this in such detail before.


	6. Proposals

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: I suppose the same as always. Thank you, all who have read, reviewed and encouraged. I really appreciate it. And for those who haven't reviewed but read, please do. I greatly appreciate feedback._

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CHAPTER 6: PROPOSALS

"You know that Ron's with Hermione, right?" asked Parvati Patil, the next day as she sat beside her best friend Lavender Brown in the Great Hall. A flurry of owls haloed the ceiling of the room once again, dropping parcels. Lavender shrugged as she fixed her red headband. Today her hair was down and straightened, which made her nose look bigger than it really was.

"Yeah," replied Lavender. She straightened up in her seat with confidence, smiling at Ron from about six seats down. He smiled back nervously with a returning wave and watched Lavender whisper to Parvati, her voice laced with giggles.

Hermione looked their way but they hadn't noticed. A fierce scowl was spread across her face. She hadn't known that she'd felt so protective of Ron. Surely he would have done the same for her. But maybe this was what she needed. She needed drama or else things would have been lackluster. Why did she have to be so complicated? She sighed as she rested her chin against her knuckles as her elbow was propped against the table.

"Just ignore her, Hermione," whispered Ginny, who sat across from her and Ron.

"I wish I could," she replied huskily, shooting Lavender another dirty glance that she'd missed from gossiping with Parvati.

"What are you girls talking about?" asked Ron, raising his eyebrows. He hadn't been eavesdropping on his girlfriend and his sister. However, something was strange about the way they were acting. Hermione just looked at her boyfriend who had his hand rested on her thigh.

"We're talking about you," replied Hermione honestly, without blinking her brown eyes.

"Why?" asked Ron. He took a scoop of oatmeal in his mouth, savouring its taste of apples and cinnamon. He chewed and swallowed as he gulped down a glass of milk.

"I'm sure you know why," countered Hermione. She wasn't trying to start a dispute, more like settle things.

"I thought we settled things last night," he frowned. He was staring into Hermione's brown eyes as he said this. His eyes told her that he loved her, and his mouth always did. But the thing with that was who knew what his eyes and mouth would be doing around Lavender, let alone his hands? Still, Hermione knew that Ron would do no such thing.

"We did, I was just doing some thinking," she uttered quite timidly.

"Then please stop thinking," he whispered, bringing a sweet kiss to Hermione's lips that she only responded hungrily to. To prevent a scene, Ron tried to resist making a kiss grow into something more.

Hermione Granger could simply _not_ stop thinking. A scholar such as her could not afford to stop thinking as that could lead to mistakes. It was why she overanalyzed some things and felt bored about certain aspects of her life. She felt a new respect and fondness for Ron, despite the fact that he could be too clingy.

This is how the mind works, thought Hermione, as she took a bite out of her toast.

-

"It worked!" beamed Lavender Brown, as she cast an Aguamenti charm, watching a fountain of water burst from the tip of her wand. Hermione was tempted to shoot water in _Lavender's_ hair to see how damaged it would get – all frizzy and such. However, Hermione knew the effects of wet hair turning into frizziness from previous first-hand experiences that taunted her no more. Her hair had changed; it wasn't as bushy as it used to be.

"Very well done, Ms. Brown," nodded Professor Flitwick approvingly.

Lavender smiled in response to this and ran over to Parvati with a proud look on her face. Hermione wanted to wipe the big grin on Lavender's face by outdoing her or perhaps soaking her wet. But she tried to stay on task with true Hermione fashion by creating the waterworks from her wand effortlessly. She scanned Lavender's face, surprised and wide-eyed.

"Most impressive," grinned Professor Flitwick.

"That was amazing, Hermione!" whispered Lavender as she nudged her roommate. She'd half expected Lavender to burst out in her _own_ waterworks but she hadn't. She clearly needed a way to tick her off for feeling so smug about going with Ron to the ball. In fact, Hermione hadn't realized until now how humiliating it would be – that someone's own boyfriend couldn't take them to the ball but was going with a normal acquaintance.

"Thanks," smiled Hermione, trying to return her most fakest smile as she tried not to look like a toad. While Professor Flitwick was going through the rest of the classroom and trying to teach Seamus Finnigan how to perform the charm correctly, Lavender nudged Hermione again.

"Hey umm, do you know what Ron's favourite colour is? I'd like to match him for the ball," smiled Lavender, twirling a lock of glossy hair around her fingers. Hermione was beginning to get annoyed. Lavender wasn't _his_ girlfriend, _Hermione_ was. Why was Lavender trying to be such a third wheel knowing that he already had a girlfriend?

"I don't know," replied Hermione through clenched teeth.

"You don't know your own boyfriend's favourite colour?" asked Lavender, with a shocked look on her face as she asked Hermione the question in a hushed tone of voice. Hermione pretended not to notice Parvati's face as well, which read of disappointment for Hermione. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"We actually have better things to talk about than our favourite colours," shrugged Hermione. She could have easily lied and said he liked yellow, but the last thing she wanted was for Lavender to stand out at the Masked Ball. Even _with_ masks, it was obvious that Ron wasn't going with Hermione. Lavender's hair was darker than hers and of a different texture. Nobody would ever mistake them for each other, even their bodies were different.

"Like what?" piped in Parvati, who received a nervous glance from her best friend.

"Stuff that's none of your business," answered Hermione, turning to her. To think about it, she really _hadn't_ talked to Ron that much. In fact, she didn't have anyone to confide in anymore. Yes, they were still friends. But the topics that they'd scanned over most of the time was neutral territory so that they could avoid fighting.

"Oh really?" smirked Parvati smugly, folding her arms over her chest.

"_Yes_, really," frowned Hermione, glaring at them.

She stormed off as soon as class was over, not bothering to turn around to listen to Parvati and Lavender exchange glances at each other. They were probably gossiping about Hermione and Ron's relationship, no doubt. And their plan was probably to rip them apart so that Lavender could look like the angel that scooped Ron up from his misery, leaving the devilish, scheming position for Hermione to take over. She felt humiliation sting her eyes. Hearing the footsteps of giggling students around her made her feel like an outcast.

"Hey mudblood!" howled Draco Malfoy, who was pacing up behind her.

Hermione turned around, knowing that there could only be one person that could call her that. Well, it may have easily been another member of Slytherin, but she wouldn't take her chances on that one. She came face to face with a sneering Draco Malfoy, with his blonde hair neat and tidy that day. He was almost pretty cute, thought Hermione. But that was a Malfoy standing in front of her! She wasn't allowed to think such thoughts. She told herself to shut up.

"What is it, Malfoy?" she scoffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Oh, I'm _so_ scared, mudblood," he sneered, rolling his eyes. "You left your textbook behind if you hadn't noticed."

Hermione grabbed it out of his hands without mumbling thanks. He was just pestering her, that's all. He didn't even care about her. Then why was he giving it to her? He definitely wanted to know something. She continued to stand there and analyze him, his eyes just boring into her own.

"Why would you want to be seen in a hallway with a filthy mudblood?"

"Because I want to know something, Granger."

"Good luck because I'm not telling you _anything_, Malfoy!"

"Jealousy works its wonders once again."

Hermione walked off, ignoring Malfoy as he snickered to himself. What a troll, thought Hermione. But that was Malfoy, always ready to bully her and call her names. She'd been trying to shrug it off and roll off her shoulder all these years, but it'd been difficult. Harry and Ron weren't always around her and it wasn't as if they could keep fighting her battles for her when it came to Malfoy. Even though she'd slugged him once and probably humiliated him another time, it still wasn't enough – not what he'd been tormenting her about all this time. All these years of Malfoy. She bit her lip to prevent herself from tearing up.

-

"Ron! There you are! I've been meaning to find you for a while now," smiled Lavender, poking her pretty face beside Ron's as she took a seat beside him in the library. Ron actually never went to the library but he was supposed to meet with Hermione. He'd passed her this morning in the hall and she'd asked him to meet her. What would she think if she saw Lavender with him?

"Okay, what's up, Lavender?" he asked her hesitantly. He wanted this conversation to pass as soon as possible. She just flashed one of her radiant smiles at him and placed her index finger on his shoulder.

"I wanted to talk about the Masked Ball!" she answered, trying to keep her tone hushed. It was hard to contain the excitement that bubbled up inside of her.

"Umm, shouldn't we be talking about this later?" queried Ron, trying not to look into Lavender's eyes.

"No, this is the only time _we_ get to talk. You're always with Hermione anyways. Now, I've already got some things planned," she nodded, brushing Ron's previous comment off.

Ron pretended to be interested as he looked around the library, slightly bleak and desolate. He wondered why Hermione liked this place. Was it because nobody was here all the time? Lavender's personality sure seemed to liven the place up, whether he liked to admit it or not.

"What are your plans?" he asked her.

"Well, I asked Hermione this morning what your favourite colour was. She didn't know so I just came to ask you," she replied. Ron was wondering if she was trying to make Hermione seem like a bad girlfriend. But knowing Hermione, she probably couldn't care less about favourite colours or favourite types of candy and that sort. She was too much of an intellectual for that. And sometimes, that didn't make a good girlfriend. Ron frowned. He shouldn't have been thinking about this.

"Any colour is fine," shrugged Ron.

"Okay. So why don't we both wear red and gold?" she asked him. She already had the perfect dress and mask ensemble for this.

Ron shrugged and nodded, having no idea what he was agreeing to as he looked up and thought he saw a quick glimpse of unkempt brown waves disappearing behind a book shelf. _Those_ brown waves, he thought, biting his lip.

* * *

_E'Claireee:_ _To answer your question, the story is set in the sixth year though I'm aware that at this point (in the series by Rowling), that Umbridge has taken over and there's a bunch of drama about the Ministry, etc. So thank you for your review. Maybe it's not that realistic as you may have thought so I'm sorry if that disappoints you. But I do try to search up what goes on in which year, etc. Thanks again for your feedback. I appreciate it.  
_


	7. Verdicts

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Same as always!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 7: VERDICTS

The sun shone through the Great Hall as students had plates and dishes of food all settled in a line at the center of each house table. First years were still excited about meals, as were those that were aching for food if they missed breakfast. The sound of clattering utensils and chattering students was apparent, as well as glances and eyes that could not be met with one another.

"Hey 'Mione, I was wondering if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend," grinned Ron, smiling as a few of his freckles met up on the crease of his lips. Hermione rolled her eyes as he said this, picking up her fork and jabbing at a potato wedge on her plate. She hadn't sat with Ron today. In fact, she was sitting beside Ginny, who was all ears on the conversation.

"No thank you, Ronald. I'm busy this weekend," she replied grimly, as she picked up the potato wedge with her fork.

"I thought you finished all your work," he countered.

"I have to study too, you know," she frowned, feeling a little insulted.

"But it's the first weekend tomorrow and the dance will be in a few days. We'll be hardly seeing each other," he persisted, as he placed his fork down on the table. Harry and Neville shot him a look. If he was going to make a scene then they should've talked about it somewhere with more privacy. Ginny couldn't have missed the look that Lavender had on her face. Even though they were in an inaudible distance, she could still see the look on Hermione and Ron's faces.

"Well, that was your choice to make then, wasn't it?" she chided.

"That's why I'm asking you to join me this weekend, Hermione," he frowned. He tried not to raise his voice when Harry placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Wouldn't you rather take Lavender?" asked Hermione hoarsely. She brought her fork to her mouth and chewed, for a second looking like an animal with a lump on one side of their face.

"I'm just taking her to the dance as a friend. I already told you that, blimey!" he said gruffly. His voice raised as he said the last sentence. Hermione immediately flushed pink, eyes beginning to well up in tears. She felt horrible because not only had he decided to take Lavender to the ball, but also because he was chatting with Lavender while _she_ was supposed to meet him. How dare he do such a thing, she thought.

"I'm fine with that," she whispered back, not knowing if she meant what she said. "But it's like you're throwing yourself around as if I have to go with you, as if _I_ have to follow you around so you could decide who you really love!"

"I'm not asking you to pick. I clearly chose you," he countered, folding his arms across his chest.

"You also chose to speak to Lavender in the library this morning," she hummed sourly, with Ron's same expression visible on her face. Ginny bit her lip. She didn't like it when they fought. But she was curious to know what was really going on.

"_She_ came up to _me._ It's not like I could ignore her or anything," he argued. It was good that Lavender or Parvati couldn't hear what he was saying. But if word went around that they were in a fight about a third wheel, things wouldn't be looking too good.

"Because it's so hard to ignore someone like her, isn't that right?" she droned on. She got up from her seat with little drama since eyes only glanced in her direction. She exited the Great Hall, with Ginny scowling at Ron as she followed Hermione, calling after her.

"What? Don't look at me," grumbled Ron, as Neville shot him a concerned glance.

-

"So that's what happened?" yelped Ginny. She was sitting on the floor at the foot of Hermione's bed as Hermione had her faced buried into her pillow. Hermione had just spilled the beans and Ginny was surprised at Ron but now at least she knew why they were fighting.

"Pretty much," she replied. She hadn't been crying, but she was feeling moody. Class would start again in a few minutes. Besides, Ginny had asked all about their fight and as long as Luna or Parvati wouldn't walk in, Hermione was more than happy to get a little bit off of her chest. Anyways, Lavender was probably flirting with Ron was they spoke.

"I should talk to him," suggested Ginny, folding her arms across her chest.

"No Ginny, it'll be fine. Don't worry about it," frowned Hermione, shifting around in her bed as she rolled on her back. Her cat Crookshanks mewled as she did this. She stared up at the ceiling and contemplated deeply about the chances of her and Ron being able to stay together. They'd fought before but not over a third wheel like Lavender.

"Mm," mumbled Ginny. Hermione missed her flustered look.

"Thanks though," sighed Hermione. She looked down at her cat who was staring back at her with a whimsical expression across its furry face. She smiled as she stroked her fur.

"It's fine," shrugged Ginny. She then looked up to turn around to Hermione, giving her the most suspicious look. Hermione blinked twice, staring right back. "Tell me, 'Mione, do you love Ron?"

"Why do you ask?" queried Hermione. Her eyebrows knit together and she felt a burning hotness rush all over her body, like the beads of sweat that now formed on the side of her pretty face.

"No reason, it's just that you guys seem distant with each other," shrugged Ginny. This pressured Hermione though this was probably part of Ginny's plan.

"It's just a phase with us," replied Hermione, seething through her teeth at how Ginny was interfering. Sometimes she thought that Ginny should've minded her own business. But then Ginny cared about their relationship and Ron since they were siblings. She had to appreciate her for that. Hermione smiled.

"If it's just a phase, then why don't you end it and make up tonight," suggested Ginny boldly, expecting Hermione to yell at her. She'd seen it coming. She was probably going to counter with asking how come it was _her_ that had to apologize when it was Ron's callousness that wound them up like this in the first place. It was _him_ that had to interact with Lavender and also his fault for not trying to tell Lavender that he wasn't interested in her.

"You know," shrugged Hermione, tipping her silly head over, showing off her cascading brown curls. Her smile brightened up. "You're right, Ginny. That's just what I'll do. Thanks."

-

"Blaise, tell me something about Draco that I don't know," frowned Pansy Parkinson, wiggling in her seat as she watched the students surrounding her flipping through their textbooks. She twisted her dark hair around, still thinking about the way Draco Malfoy had treated her. He was rude to her and it broke her heart because all she wanted was for him to love her. And he couldn't. Since that humiliating incident, they hadn't been talking. She'd tried to walk in front of Draco or accidentally nudge him, but no conversation sparked and no glances or greetings were exchanged other than Pansy's nervous hellos.

"Well, you guys are finished," responded Blaise Zabini bluntly, as he folded his muscular arms across his chest. Blaise was friendly with Draco and Pansy but had a rather vain personality. He gave his classic haughty look to Pansy as she rolled her angry eyes.

"I'm aware of that. No need to rub it in," she pouted. Blaise shrugged, he wasn't going to apologize. Sure, Pansy and him were friends. But he couldn't really blame Draco for dumping Pansy. She'd just been draping herself all over him and it was time to end things once and for all. Seeing her humiliate herself in the public area one too many times, and watching Draco frown at what she did made him feel sick and sometimes embarrassed to be seen around them.

"Are you planning on getting back with him?" asked Blaise, trying to continue the conversation. He looked around to see if anyone was listening though he couldn't care less.

"Yeah, but I don't think he's going to let that happen," shrugged Pansy. All she needed was a little encouragement from Blaise and she'd be sent to cloud nine. But Blaise didn't give off encouragements and compliments easily. He thought highly of himself and expected those standards to be met by others as well. Too bad, she thought. He actually was pretty handsome if he could be the rebound boy.

"What are you willing to do to make it happen?" asked Blaise. He said that in the most casual tone of voice. He wasn't going to make Draco jealous by kissing Pansy or anything because he genuinely _didn't_ want to be involved romantically with Pansy. Not only would it make his expectations seem lower, since he'd seldom met a girl who he was interested, but it would also make him seem like he was picking up the scraps from Draco and Blaise Zabini picked up the scraps from _nobody_.

"I think I'll be saving a surprise for the Masked Ball," grinned Pansy mischievously, as a bigger smile crept across her saddened face. Blaise raised his eyebrows, wondering what had gotten into Pansy all of a sudden. She looked at Blaise with more seductive venom dripping off her lips as she purred her next question. "Say, how does green lace and a bowtie sound?"

* * *

_Kate1234567lol:__** MINI-SPOILER ALERT!**_

_Draco and Hermione will get together on the night of the ball, which is probably about four or five chapters away. It took me a while to ease Hermione from Ron to Draco and meanwhile loosen the connections between Ron and Hermione. Sorry about that!_


	8. Lines

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Same as always!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 8: LINES

Hermione Granger was dressed in a black turtleneck and a comfortable pair of baggy jeans and white sneakers. Her hair was swept up, which was a rare sight as her hair was always left down, almost like a mop. She hadn't even recognized herself in the mirror. But she thought it was fine. Perhaps Ron would appreciate the change. Besides, if she was going to make up with him, she could at least look good while doing so. She took time to apply lip-gloss to her lips as well.

"Flobberworm," grinned Hermione with confidence. The portrait gave Hermione entrance and she walked through, finding an area where she could sit and think about her apology to her dear redhead. She had to calm down, she thought.

She found a seat near Ginny, who was in a big dark pink sweater and gray sweatpants. The two of them exchanged glances and Ginny gave Hermione a comforting look. She knew how headstrong the two of them were. But if the two of them really wanted this to work out, one of them would have to give in first. And since it was Hermione who had walked out on Ron at lunch today, she supposed that it was her duty to be the one that had to apologize.

Ron was sitting alone at Hermione's usual desk area. It was a more secluded area behind the couches that nobody really liked to turn around to because it wasn't an area of interest. Usually all people did was kiss or do homework. In Ron's case, it was sitting and sulking, wondering if he should've apologize to Hermione. But he looked around and hadn't noticed her. The only person that looked remotely like Hermione was a girl with a brown bun who was talking to his sister. He saw the back of her head rested against the armchair, on the right side of the fireplace. He sighed. Maybe it was all his fault that Hermione was ignoring him.

"Ron Weasley, I didn't expect to find you here," grinned a voice, as he turned around with a big smile. He hoped that it would have been Hermione but it wasn't. It was Lavender Brown in all her goodness. He tried not to frown immediately. It would have been rude to do so.

Lavender was dressed in a red cardigan over a white dress shirt and a gray pencil skirt. Did she purposely dress like that for him? He had to admit that she looked quite nice, aside from the fact that there was a hole on her cardigan's sleeve.

"Well, here I am," he replied with false enthusiasm. Lavender sat beside him.

Hermione turned around for a second with a frown on her face. Ginny bit her lip. It was _her_ who'd encouraged Hermione to apologize. Ginny urged her friend to stand up but she didn't. Hermione wanted to see their interaction and see just how serious Ron and Lavender were. The flames from the fireplace was reflected on Hermione's face. It was as if there was a freaking lineup to get to her boyfriend. Hermione Granger did _not_ wait in lineups for someone she had the right to be with. Too bad she couldn't act like that. She was too discouraged to do anything but watch Lavender giggle and touch Ron's arm subliminally every few seconds.

"So I'm sorry if I got in between you and Hermione," said Lavender. Hermione and Ginny could hear her trying to make herself sound innocent and sweet. That manipulative little snake, thought Hermione. Her eyebrows furrowed together.

"It's fine. We're just going through a rough patch right now. It'll pass," nodded Ron, reassuring her. Why was he telling the third wheel the status of their relationship? It was private and she had no right to intervene!

"Aww, I'm sorry to hear," mumbled Lavender, her voice laced with sugar. She placed her hand on Ron's and held it for a second, which made Hermione's blood boil. Take your hand away, thought Hermione. It was as if she was trying to telepathically tell Ron to move his hand away but he hadn't. In fact, he just let her caress his hand until he blushed.

"It's not your fault," Hermione heard him say. It _was_ her fault though, decided Hermione. There was no way that she was going to apologize to him now. It was clearly his fault and clearly his decision if he wanted to stay with Lavender.

"Still, I wish there was something I could do to fix things," she said, grazing her index finger up his arm. She leaned closer to him, close enough that he could smell her perfume of jasmine and lilies. Hermione was outraged and furious, yet her knees felt weak. It was only a matter of time before she'd lose him. She couldn't feel the courage to move. She felt frozen.

"You can," he replied. Why was he leading her on?

"Really?" she asked, her eyes twinkling in the heat of their conversation.

Ron nodded and Lavender leaned closer to him. Hermione and Ginny's jaws both dropped. They were basically knee to knee and chest to chest. Hermione couldn't bear to watch this, except something inside her wanted to. How would Ron react to Lavender's flirting? Would he push her away or pull her in? Lines appeared in Hermione's face as her eyebrows raised. Lavender's arm brushed up his arm and was perched on his shoulder. Their faces were pulled together, lips brushing. Ron had placed his hand on Lavender's face, and she took it as a sign of eagerness and began to move closer to him urgently. But before she could do that –

"Hermione!" yelled Ginny, as she watcher her friend storm off, out of the common room.

Ron and Lavender were as red-faced as tomatoes as they bit their lips and pulled away, finding themselves looking at a flustered Ginny. They didn't know who should've opened their mouths first, but all they knew was that it was wrong to have kissed in the common room, let alone kiss each other.

-

"Hi Luna, what are you reading?" asked Cho Chang, who had her silken hair up in a bun today. No stray hairs were in her face. Everything was so perfect. She was sitting beside Luna at a desk, nearby first years who were discussing Potions class. It was cute and reminded Cho of the good times of being younger. But that was the past and she'd matured and experienced a lot since then.

"I'm reading _The Quibbler_," replied Luna sweetly, wondering why someone like Cho was talking to her.

"I see," smiled Cho. It was cute. Everyone thought that _The Quibbler_ was a bunch of garbage so Cho never bothered to read it. But she didn't comment. She was just here to speak with Luna about going to the ball with Harry. Actually, she wanted to see if Luna wanted to be friends with her. She seemed so lonely with all of her _true_ friends in Gryffindor. This meant that it was difficult for them to see each other. Cho continued, "So I heard you're going to the Masked Ball with Harry Potter."

Luna put her magazine down on the desk and turned to Cho. Cho was so sweet and pretty, thought Luna. Her hair was always silky, her eyes were usually twinkling, whether it was from tears or just from her natural charm. Her skin was flawless as well. Not that Luna's skin _wasn't_ flawless, but Cho definitely raked in the boys.

"Yes, I am," she said, smiling with her radiant white teeth. Today her hair was unreasonably straggly and contrasted with Cho's neat, glossy hair. Those around them must have wondered what Cho was doing talking to Loony.

"Yeah, he's really nice, isn't he?" she asked her. She was unsure of where this conversation was going. She just felt compelled to speak to Luna. After all the mean things people said about her, she felt that she was innocent.

"He is," agreed Luna. Their conversation was slow, but Cho was fine with that.

"So are you two dating or something?" asked Cho bluntly. She pretended to sound as casual as possible by smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles in her blue t-shirt.

"Harry and I? No, we're not. We're just friends. And he wouldn't want to go out with me anyways," replied Luna. Her cheeks were pink and Cho smiled back. Luna placed a lock of her blonde hair behind one ear, revealing the same radish earrings as she wore on the first day back at Hogwarts. Cho looked up at them, thinking of what to say.

Just as Cho wanted to open her mouth again, her best friend Marietta Edgecombe walked up to them and stuck her frowning face into the conversation. Her eyebrows were knit together in classic Marietta fashion. Her lips formed a slight pout. In fact, her cheeks seemed to have sunken into her face and Luna didn't know if this was how she looked like when she was pissed off or angry. But she saw Marietta coming and hadn't expected anything nice to come out of her mouth.

"I know, he wouldn't want to go out with you, Loony," she smirked smugly.

Luna's face fell as she said this. Why did Marietta have to be so mean? Even if she saw it coming…

"Marietta!" whispered Cho quickly as she placed her hand on her arm as she stood above the two of them as if she was their master. Her straightened hair fell in her face as she smiled at them sinisterly. Cho was speechless afterwards, watching a single teardrop drop from Luna's right eye.

"I have to go," murmured Luna. Her usual icing sweet voice had grown bitter with disappointment. It was too good to be true, she thought. There was no way that Cho Chang wanted to talk to _her_. As she stood up and walked off with her magazine, a bewildered expression was plastered across Cho's face. She didn't mean to come off as rude with Marietta. In fact, Luna probably thought that the two of them ganged up on her purposely. She sighed to herself as she glared at Marietta for a moment, the two of them staring into each other's blinking eyes and knowing that they would still be best friends tomorrow.


	9. Scripts

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Same as always!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 9: SCRIPTS

This morning, Hermione had decided to sleep in late to avoid seeing her roommates Parvati or Lavender. But from their squealing and such, Hermione could only pretend to be asleep as she eavesdropped on her roommates' conversation about the weekend. She wanted to get up and slap Lavender across the face for stealing her boyfriend from her. The only problem with that was that Hermione should have seen it coming. Draco Malfoy had warned her despite the fact that it was a mean remark, he was still right.

"So what should I wear?" asked Lavender excitedly as she placed a lock of her curly brown hair over her shoulder. Parvati placed an index finger on her chin as she examined her best friend's outfit choices. They were sprawled out on her bed, on top of the red and gold comforter that were her house colours.

"Wear the sweater and jeans ensemble. It looks more effortless and a lot more different than last night," nodded Parvati. Her voice was more hushed this time, just in case Hermione could hear her. But these girls were loud so Hermione heard anyways. "Are you going to invite Ron to Hogsmeade so you guys could get some accessories and such, for the ball?"

"But it was you and _I_ that originally planned for us both to go together. Besides, Little Miss Granger caught us last night and was livid. I don't want her to hex me or anything," giggled Lavender. Though it came off as a joke and rolled off her shoulder as easily as it had rolled off her tongue, it was still rude. Not only did Hermione want to do that, but she also trusted Ron that he wouldn't do anything stupid. If she kept her eyes off of him for _one_ minute, he'd probably be kissing Lavender's feet again – only last night, it'd been her lips.

"That's right. You should let them sort things out," replied Parvati softly. Hermione was instantly thankful for Parvati's sanity. She was surprised that they hadn't decided to go full out and take Ron away as quickly as possible before his relationship with Hermione healed. But who knew? Maybe it wouldn't heal. Maybe it would.

"I really regret last night. I really shouldn't have kissed him," frowned Lavender, guilt dripping off of her voice. It was true though. Last night after they kissed, Ginny scolded them about how Hermione was Ron's girlfriend. Lavender meekly left for her dorm room after Ron and Ginny continued to argue. She secretly hoped that Hermione wouldn't be in the dorm room. And luckily, she wasn't. She wasn't ready to face her angry roommate. But it was her fault. She couldn't blame Hermione if she was going to be mad.

Parvati rolled her eyes and watched Lavender take off her pajamas and change into her white belted sweater and a pair of her tightest jeans that made her legs look like wonders.

"You would have done that eventually. Wasn't that part of the script?" asked Parvati menacingly.

"Part of the script and part of the plan, Parvati," smiled Lavender. She slid her leathery belt around her waist. "I just don't want to see Hermione and Ron hurt over this. I care about their happiness too, you know."

Somehow, Hermione wish she hadn't so that she could hate her even more.

"As if you do," snorted Parvati, placing her hand over her mouth. Lavender returned an amused smile; and Hermione frowned.

-

"Hermione!" called Ron, as he caught up with Hermione, who was ignoring him when they bumped into each other in the halls. Harry had been with Ron but he made himself scarce for the sake of the privacy of their conversation.

"What is it?" she snapped, as Ron grabbed her wrist. She glared at him the way she'd glared at Draco Malfoy when he held her like that. She tried to break free of his grasp on her. She wished that a professor or most specifically, Professor McGonagall was nearby. She would have surely saved her from humiliation amidst the halls.

"I want to talk about last night," he said, with the most serious expression on his face. Hermione didn't know if she should've continued to glare at him or laugh out loud, as rude as that may have sounded. She looked down at her wrist for a moment, the one that Ron was holding and then looked back at him. He wouldn't let go. He knew that if he let go, she would run away and they'd never be able to set things straight.

"I don't really want to," countered Hermione, placing her free hand into her pocket to pick up her wand. It was necessary if he wouldn't let go of her. Her eyes were like slits, the way she looked at him.

"Well, I do," argued Ron, trying not to cause a scene. But he _would_ cause a scene because he wanted to fix this. Hermione stopped glaring at him, but waited for him to explain. He sighed. "Look Hermione, I didn't come onto Lavender. She came onto me first. I know that's not an excuse…because I know I kissed her back. I didn't know you were there. I wouldn't have if –"

"That's enough," muttered Hermione. He sounded so rehearsed that it made her want to gag. "Of course you didn't know I was there because you were so focused on her. And of course you wouldn't have kissed her if I was there. Every lying, manipulating cheater in literature has been familiar with that rule! This is just another Shakespeare tragedy all over again!"

"Shake who?" asked Ron, raising his eyebrows.

"Muggle writer, very famous," replied Hermione bluntly. She wanted to wind off in a tangent about Shakespeare's work. In fact, her name had originated _from_ a Shakespeare play but she didn't want to live in one. It would be too tragic. She returned to the topic at hand. "But Ronald, that's besides the point."

"I would never cheat on you. You know that," he said softly, trying to sound soothing. His attempt at cooling Hermione down only fanned the flames of her anger.

"But you already did, lest we forget!" she grumbled, her voice rising ever so slightly.

"That wasn't really cheating, 'Mione," he urged as his grasp on Hermione's wrist grew weaker with every weak argument he'd put forth, in which all of them were crushed by Hermione, as crushed as he felt now.

"Then if I kissed Harry, it wouldn't be cheating either?" she bickered, trying hard not to raise her voice.

"I said I was sorry," frowned Ron. It was all he could say.

"Last night I tried to apologize but then I found you two kissing. Did you know how wound up I got trying to think about what to say? And it took a while, but when I finally got the courage to turn around, you were with Lavender and you weren't even stopping her from the inevitable finale!" she continued. All Ron could do was sigh and look at Hermione with sorry eyes. His big blue eyes were filled with sadness.

"Hermione, I can't change the past. I can only try to prevent the mistake from happening again," he persisted, trying to quote an old proverb.

"Yet the same mistake happens again, doesn't it?" seethed Hermione.

"You know what? Maybe apologizing to you _was_ a mistake. I'm going to ask Lavender to go to Hogsmeade with me and don't expect me to dance with you at the ball on Monday. Goodbye," frowned Ron. He was angry and beyond embarrassed. When those words had passed his lips, he couldn't have missed the hurt look on Hermione's face. He wanted to immediately take those words back and embrace her. But he couldn't. What was said had been said and he'd have to live up to it. But did that mean that they were over? Ron didn't have an answer to that.

"Does that mean we're over?" murmured Hermione to herself. Ron didn't catch any of that because by the time the truth had kicked into Hermione, he was gone. Lavender and Ron. Ron and Lavender. Hogsmeade. She thought that the circuits in her head were about to explode. She sucked it up and rubbed her eyes, trying to make sure that she didn't look like she was going to cry because truth be told, Hermione Granger didn't _want_ to cry or tear up for _anyone_.

Entering the Great Hall, there was yet another flurry of owls haloing the ceiling with their wings and mystical beauty. Hermione tried to smile at that but she couldn't really. She'd be lying to herself if she said she was happy about what just happened between her and Ron. She sat alone at the end of the Gryffindor table, attempting to isolate herself from Ron. If she saw him talking to Lavender, she'd choke. She could imagine their conversation. Her sweet voice, knitted with false surprise and sugar while Parvati nodded and nudged her the whole time.

"Hi Hermione. You're avoiding Ron, huh?" asked Ginny. She sat across from her friend at the table, isolated from everyone else as she glanced down at the table subliminally. Although she'd rather sit with Harry, she couldn't neglect a friend who'd had her heart broken the night before. After all, who wanted to see their love with someone else? Ginny sometimes felt that with Harry and Luna, but she didn't want to be their third wheel and she always told herself that she was _not_ into Harry James Potter.

"I am," nodded Hermione, feeling cold and icy after this morning's encounter with him. She placed her hand around a warm mug of tea and tried to mentally convince herself that everything would be fine.

"So did he apologize to you yet?" continued Ginny, rubbing her hands together before picking up a banana from the fruit bowl in between her and Hermione. Hermione looked at the fruit bowl. It was so simple, so innocent. The shiny apples dominated over the ripe bananas which were beside tiny mandarin oranges – some slightly richer in texture and colour than others. She wished that her life could be that simple. But it wasn't. Her gaze worked its way up to Ginny again, who was peeling her banana.

"He did, but we got into an even bigger fight. As of now, he's planning on going to Hogsmeade with Lavender and I'm not going to be dancing with him at the ball," sighed Hermione. She wanted to cry. She told herself not to. Hermione Jean Granger was_ not_ going to cry!

Only she couldn't help it. It was too difficult to hold in.

"Oh no, Hermione. Don't cry!" yelped Ginny, who watched her friend tear up as her eyebrows knit together. The two girls hadn't noticed this, but at this point, Ron was watching Hermione well up and choke in front of Ginny. He felt horrible because Lavender was beside him talking about how much fun they'd have today. He felt as if his heart was twisting up in him and that he too, would cry if Hermione wouldn't cease the waterworks.

"Excuse me, Ginny. I'm going to go to the bathroom," sniffled Hermione. She rose from her seat and disappeared.


	10. Drafts

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thank you all for your continued encouragement. Reviewing is greatly appreciated!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 10: DRAFTS

"Oh Ron, thanks for taking me out today," smiled Lavender Brown. She'd decided to change into another outfit so that it fit more of a dating scenario though she hadn't expected to get anywhere with Ron. She knew that it was wrong to steal someone else's boyfriend – especially your own roommate's boyfriend. Wasn't that one of the rules that fellow girlfriends followed at colleges? Well, Lavender was no muggle, so she had no knowledge of that. She knew that at first, it was just harmless flirting. But harmless flirting turned into harmful feelings that sinisterly stole Ron away from Hermione.

"It's fine," smirked Ron, trying to enjoy the sun shining on his back. He was in a maroon sweater and gray slacks with worn out sneakers. He sort of matched with Lavender and noticed that she'd changed her outfit, possibly to match him? It was a plain white dress shirt that was silky with some frills under the collar that emphasized her curvaceous figure. With a burgundy and black miniskirt to go along with her dress shirt, she seemed to have been trying very hard to impress Ron. He thought she looked quite nice, but it wasn't something he was accustomed to.

To be honest with himself, he'd rather be with Hermione right now. But he told himself that she probably didn't care for his whereabouts and how he felt. The warm sun bathed his face in a golden colour as his freckles seemed to disappear in the bright light. He had his hands shoved in his pockets as his feet met with the cool cobblestone ground beneath him.

"Great. I already have a dress and mask. How about you?" asked Lavender enthusiastically as she passed by the Three Broomsticks, which was a pub that many of the Hogwarts staff and students enjoyed lounging around. She had her hair swept up in a bun, making her look a little bit like a Muggle office worker.

"What colour are we wearing again?" murmured Ron. His mind was somewhere else.

"Red and gold," answered Lavender quickly. Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at Ron's slightly furrowed brow. "Are you alright, Ron? You've been so out of it since this morning."

"I'm fine. Hermione and I – never mind…" he answered, cutting himself off.

"No, tell me," said Lavender. She placed her index finger on Ron's shoulder. His initial reaction would have been to shrug it off but he hadn't. He didn't want Lavender to start bawling in the middle of the street.

"It's fine, Lavender. It's just between Hermione and I," nodded Ron.

"But I want to know. I mean, if there's anything I can do to fix things, I'll try," suggested Lavender. She sounded so desperate to fix things but who knew if she actually would? Her lips trembled for a moment, awaiting Ron's answer and decision.

"It's that kiss we had, Lavender," quipped Ron. He couldn't help but spill that one point. If he hadn't kissed her, then he and Hermione would have been fine. He didn't mean to place the blame on the pretty girl beside her but it sort of _was_ her fault.

"Do you regret it?" she asked meekly, as if she were about to cry.

"It was a 'spur of the moment' type of thing," replied Ron, clearly avoiding the question.

"Okay then," nodded Lavender. She wouldn't continue pressing him on that one question but she still wanted him to spill the beans. "Did you guys get into another fight?"

Lavender and Ron continued to pace through the cobblestone steps, watching the snow and frost gather on rooftops like glistening angels about to break into a chorus of dancing ice shards that would break as soon as it hit the ground.

"I suppose so."

"Was it about the kiss? I really shouldn't have. I'm sorry!"

"No, it's –"

"I couldn't help myself and you kissed back too!"

"That was a mistake."

"But you kissed back! That means you felt something."

Tears began to sting Lavender's eyes. She couldn't admit the proper truth to herself that Ron was _not_ that interested in her and just because they were going to the dance together, it didn't necessarily mean a thing. She blinked, feeling her makeup run. She noticed that at that moment, Ron couldn't even look at her. He didn't want to touch her or talk to her because if he did, he knew something bad would happen. But if hadn't, Lavender would hate him forever and feel so humiliated.

"Oh come on, Lavender. Don't cry," he urged, standing beside her as Lavender leaned against a brick walled building. "People are going to think I hurt you or something."

"You did!" she sniffed, running her index finger under both of her watery eyes to prevent her makeup from smearing too badly. Ron bit his lip and felt guilt tremble at the back of his throat.

"I'm sorry then, but I'm not sure what I did wrong other than try not to cheat on my girlfriend," he countered. Just because this girl was crying, it didn't mean that he'd let the topic slide.

"Can you talk to me about it then?" asked Lavender, a worried smile creeping across her lips.

"Sure, just stop crying," sighed Ron.

This morning was going to be a long one, he thought to himself as he watched Lavender's tears magically disappear the next second. She smiled at him with her slightly watery eyes as she sniffled once more before flooding him with questions.

-

"Hi Draco," purred Pansy Parkinson, standing over her ex-boyfriend in nothing but a silky green bowtie and a matching lace underwear set. Draco's eyes scanned her body for a moment, finding himself react slightly as he noticed what was pushing against his jeans. That was more than he'd like to admit. The expression on Pansy's face was satisfied when she noticed this. But Pansy wasn't usually such a turn on anyways. He was sitting in his dorm room alone. His roommates were out for the day but Draco was in no mood to hang out with them.

"Blimey! What is it Pansy? How'd you get in here?" he queried, his gray eyes turning into slits. He was lying on his bed on his side, going through his textbook. It had been a boring morning where he felt like the male counterpart of Hermione Granger. He scoffed. But _she_ was just a filthy mudblood, wasn't she? He saw her flustered face at the back of his mind for a moment. Those wavy locks, those fierce brown eyes and small, shapely lips – she wasn't that bad. But _that_ was also something he didn't want to admit.

"Blaise left me a little tip," nodded Pansy. She'd been able to sneak in without a sound and it nearly crept the daylights out of Draco. Normally, any boy his age would have been happy to see an underwear clad girl stand over him. But this was his ex. He wasn't even interested in her anymore and he'd even told her to bug off. Why couldn't she just get the hint?

"I see," was all Draco could say.

"_This_ can be yours if you take me to the ball," moaned Pansy, as she played with her bowtie that hung around her neck like a chain that would keep her attached to Draco like a leash whether he liked it or not. She inched closer to her ex-boyfriend and planted a heavy kiss on his cheek, expecting him to return it with great lust. "You could study _me_ instead if you'd like."

She should've spared him the horrible pickup line.

"No," he frowned. He edged his face away. He wasn't going to be chained to her any longer. "Please stop humiliating yourself. I'm not going with you and that's final."

He reached out to the corner of his bedpost for a green sweater and tossed it at Pansy. He didn't want her standing around like that. It wasn't because he was afraid that he'd give in to her seduction, but the faster he could get her out of his room, the faster he could get back to being bored again. He noticed that Pansy tried to conceal the tears in her eyes. She'd spent so much time getting her look together, begging his roommates to be out of the way by the certain time frame and _still_ Draco wouldn't walk back into her heart. Why wouldn't he love her again? The truth was that he never really _did_.

"Fine, Draco!" she sniffled, covering herself with his sweater. "You'll be sorry! You're going to be alone Monday night!"

"I've got plans," he shrugged. He _was_ going to the ball, but he had no date and honestly couldn't care less. If he could have a fling with a random girl, then that would be alright. Perhaps he could make Pansy jealous, he thought, smiling sinisterly to himself.

"Yeah, like what?" asked Pansy sourly.

"Stuff that's none of your business," he shrugged, rolling over and closing his eyes, marking the end of their conversation.

-

"Wow Hermione, I never knew that you were so insecure about your boyfriend," shrugged Lavender, with sugar dripping off of her pink lips as she said this. She sat across from her at her usual desk in the Gryffindor common room that afternoon, right after lunch. Hermione had skipped it, deciding to live on Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans that lunch. She didn't want to see Lavender and Ron flirting with each other nor had she even _expected_ them to show up because they'd probably be having the time of their lives at Hogsmeade that day.

"How am I insecure about him?" asked Hermione, speaking to Lavender for the first time in a while.

"He told me _everything_, sweetie," replied Lavender, sticking her head out and shaking her head.

Hermione bit her lip. Why would Ron tell _her_ everything? It was none of her business!

"It's hard to _not_ feel insecure when someone's trying to steal him," she spat back, as she miserably felt her hair falling into her pretty face. Lavender only smirked in response.

"I'm not trying to steal him. In fact, you should tell him to stop cheating on you. You deserve _better_ than him," nodded Lavender. That manipulative little brat, thought Hermione. She stared back down at her own textbook trying to study but it seemed as if after that conversation, the concentration in her head fizzled away just like her own heart did.

"Doesn't that mean I shouldn't have a third wheel leaching on?" asked Hermione all of a sudden. She could almost hear Lavender's brain ticking for an answer. She wasn't trying to be rude or anything, but Lavender had crossed the line a good couple times and she wanted to settle things. She watched her place her index finger over her lips and one of her eyes squint.

"No, it means that you should try to make sure he loves you enough that he won't _try_ to attract a third wheel," countered Lavender. This conversation wasn't going anywhere and just made Hermione want to pass out. "But you know, we had an amazing time today. You're a lucky girl to have him. We almost wanted to head to Diagon Alley, where the clothes are. But we realized that we had enough for ourselves even after strolling around Gladrag's!"

Just keep on gushing.

"I'm glad you had fun then," was all Hermione could utter.

"We _did_. You should hang out with him more though!" giggled Lavender, her words boldly shocking Hermione. She wanted to slap Lavender and push her into the bookshelves in the common room and hope that one of them would crush her and that her corpse would be so mutilated that it was unidentifiable. But shaking that thought out of her head, she left the common room to find Ron Weasley. She had to set things straight once and for all.

Leaving Lavender behind in the common room with a couple of first years and fifth years, she felt sadness trickle down her cheek and some disconnection from her boyfriend. They used to be best friends. She, him and Harry! They were inseparable and those days were washed away by hormones and relationships that were nearly impossible to mend. Even the greatest wand could not fix the cracks on one's heart, let alone a surgeon. Hermione paced through the halls to look for Ron, who was most likely pacing around or joking with Harry.

"Hermione?" asked a voice. Hermione turned around, with an angry expression on her face. She turned around and faced the one she looked for – Ron. He was dressed in a sweater and slacks from his morning, with a worried frown on his face.

"Hi Ron," she said, through clenched teeth. "I've been meaning to look for you."

"As was I," he muttered. "Care for a walk around the halls?"

Hermione nodded, following her boyfriend closely, but managing to keep a couple inches of distance between their bodies. They were both silent. They didn't know who would speak first or who wanted to say what. The only thing they knew was that they were both contemplating and thinking of what to say. Finally, a daring soul opened their mouth.

"I think you want to break up with me," sighed Hermione, predicting the inevitable.

"I was thinking that about you too," he replied, letting a soft groan escape his lips. They continued to walk and turn corners, new corners that they rarely wandered around.

"Well, Lavender told me you guys were pretty tight and hinted that I was a horrible girlfriend," shrugged Hermione. She wouldn't want to badmouth Lavender or anything because chances were that she and Ron were officially "dating" behind Hermione's back.

"Lavender and I are tight? I don't know about that but you were never a horrible girlfriend," he said softly, at the same time trying to sound persuasive.

"You use that like past tense, Ronald," murmured Hermione. She tried to paste a smile on her face but she couldn't. She could only frown and mope about after this. In fact, her knees felt like jelly and she could hardly walk without feeling pain in her calves.

"So did you," frowned Ron. He looked at Hermione's equally sad face for a moment.

"I guess we're done then? I suppose it's good that you were able to trust her with _everything_ about our relationship," she sighed, beginning to feel anger grazing the conversation and her lips hot with fury.

"Only because she wouldn't stop sobbing until I'd tell her," he grumbled.

"Sobbing or not, I'd never sob to you for something like that so I suppose she loves you more than I do and that's great," she lied, now smiling with her teeth. Ron smiled back, not knowing if he truly meant what he was doing or what he even said.

"Thanks Hermione. I hope we can still be friends," he smirked, feeling heartbroken and not knowing what else to say. He didn't really want to break up with her but if it was for the best, then they should have done that. Ah, the kiss of death – the F word, thought Hermione. It all began to sink in afterwards and she tried to hard to keep those tears_ in _her eyes and not out of them.

"Sure," was all she said.

While Ron was tempted to turn around and throw his arms around Hermione, he kept them to himself. She'd stepped out of his heart already and it was for the best if they could limit their actions with each other, he thought. At this moment, all Hermione was thinking about was if she should turn around and watch Ron walk away from her. And at that exact moment, Ron thought of the same thing, only with their inversed names.

But they hadn't.

Because if they did, they'd never be able to let go.


	11. Shapes

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Same as always! I'm having weird mood swings lately – updates may be awkward._

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 11: SHAPES

"He did _what_?" blasted Ginny, as her head shot up from the foot of her bed, laden in a nice gold and red striped comforter. Her elbow wrinkled the fabric of the comforter and it hadn't made matters better when Hermione was sulking about. Even her cat Crookshanks, the little gingery fur ball, was a little dull from Hermione's negative vibes. Sometimes she swore that her cat knew what was going on through her mind. He curled up into a tiny ball around Hermione's ankle, nuzzling at her warm skin that laid beneath the flesh of her jeans.

"You heard me. He blurted it all out to Lavender like _she_ was his girlfriend. Oh well, they're probably an item anyways," replied Hermione flatly. She tried to sound as emotionless as ever and she wasn't kidding anyone because she was clearly affected by all of this.

"I could talk to him, you know?" offered Ginny sweetly, rolling on her side as she looked at Hermione, who looked like a disheveled heap of old laundry, sitting and moping about like that. Only this disheveled heap was rather attractive, in her moping, depressive state. Hermione's brown eyes tuned back into Ginny's with happiness and gratefulness though she knew it would be unnecessary.

"You shouldn't, Gin," she muttered.

Ginny's eyebrows knitted together and she wanted to know why she refused this offer. It annoyed her how Hermione couldn't even have the courage to find some things out. But maybe she had the courage to let things go and that was something that _Ginny_ wouldn't understand. It was hardly anything like giving up.

"Okay," was all Ginny said as she watched Crookshanks crawl away and hide under her bed.

"Thanks, though. I really appreciate it," smiled Hermione, turning around and placing her hand on top of Ginny's for a second. The expression on her face was priceless. Her lips had dropped and her eyes were big with nervousness. Hermione then broke into instantaneous laughter. "I do _not_ swing that way, nor will I ever!"

Ginny giggled as well, knowing that this would be one of their good inside jokes.

"Good, or else Ron would be furious," she nodded, placing a lock of her fiery red hair behind an ear. Now it was Hermione's turn to feel awkward.

"Why would he be furious?" she asked Ginny.

"I don't know. Aren't you two still friends?" she shrugged.

Hermione smiled at Ginny, but she was unsure of herself. She recalled agreeing to Ron's friendship request. Of course they'd always be friends, she thought. She wouldn't let a silly relationship ruin her, right? Somehow she didn't know if she could answer what question honestly. Perhaps she was afraid to see what her mind told her to think or perhaps she was afraid that she'd get hurt again. But just like how the muggles say it – "Time heals all wounds", so all Hermione would have to do is wait and hope that everything would be sorted out fine.

"Sure," she replied, with the same tone of voice that she'd given Ron earlier. Those were also the exact words that she told him when he asked her if they'd still be friends. She didn't know what provoked her to say yes, but she didn't want to no the consequences of saying no.

"Good," grinned Ginny.

"If you excuse me, I'd like to take a walk outside and hopefully not run into some unexpected lovers," frowned Hermione. Ginny tried to smile, but couldn't help but frown as well when those words passed Hermione's lips.

So she bid her friend farewell. They hadn't even muttered goodbye but the two of them knew what was going on in each other's heads. Ginny knew that Hermione was still unsure of herself and Hermione knew that Ginny knew. Besides, though Hermione may have hid things at first, she trusted Ginny. Ginny was like the sister that she never had and also the biological sister of her ex. As she paced through the halls in hopes of getting outside for fresh air, she thought to herself about what she'd do about the Masked Ball. Merlin, _yes_, she was definitely going. She'd also be alone and only there to spy on Ron and Lavender. She was unsure if the first and second years were allowed to attend the ball, but she honestly couldn't care less. They were not of her business and vice versa. And just as she'd turned a corner, she spotted a familiar redhead and brunette together, holding each other and whispering sweet nothings. She felt like she just walked in on two people having a go at it because the expression on her face was ashen and pale, as if she'd just seen a Dementor.

The redhead's blue eyes met with Hermione's brown ones and he nodded at her curtly, unsure of what he was supposed to do. He supposed that it may have been amusing to yell out to her though his current girlfriend or fling, or whatever they thought of themselves as – would be rather angry. But wow, only an hour since they broke up and Ron was _already_ holding onto the body of the third wheel. They'd switched places and Hermione refused to be that third wheel. No, she wasn't going to try to get back with Ron. She'd maturely show Lavender how real women acted, whether it would faze her or not.

-

A warm, gentle breeze fanned her face and lifted her wavy locks up in the air, creating the temporary aroma of vanilla. Her eyes opened again as she paced through the lawn area at Hogwarts. She looked around. It was where the first years usually took their flying lessons. They weren't here at the moment though there were some students strolling about. It was a good day and a weekend, so Hermione couldn't blame them for wishing to stay out of their dorm rooms, being all cooped up in there and such even though she was sure that some of them may have strolled around Hogsmeade and decided to get wasted for the day. She smiled to herself, trying to forget her worries. She must have looked like a sick clown high on oxygen. The truth was that she _was_ high on oxygen, just that she wasn't a sick clown. She was just a sad, little girl trying to get over a failed relationship.

She stared ahead and continued to walk, dressed in a pale almond peasant top and her jeans from earlier, along with a pair of her most worn out sneakers. There was something about old things that she liked. Now, she didn't like her _men_ like that, but she surely enjoyed the fond memories she had of her childhood, her friends and most of all, Hogwarts. But sometimes, she just wished that those memories hadn't pained her so much.

"So then he told her to get out," smirked Daphne Greengrass, a Slytherin in the same year as Hermione. Hermione's ears zoned in on the conversation as she passed by them, pretending to be engrossed in an invisible piece of lint on her shirt. Daphne hadn't bothered to look up because she was busy talking to Theodore Nott, who was one of Draco Malfoy's roommates. Of course, he wasn't present when Pansy Parkinson walked in on their dorm.

"_How'd_ you hear of this?" asked Theodore, utterly surprised by this. His roommates hadn't told him about this but then again, these things were slightly humiliating for gossip. Only someone such as Daphne would go the lengths to spread it loud. Despite the fact that Pansy and Daphne were friends, she was still a sucker for spreading gossip.

"Pansy told me," nodded Daphne as she walked past Hermione, marking an angry distance from the little muggle. Their eyes hadn't even met, nor had Daphne or Theodore looked up to acknowledge her. Actually, they didn't even know she'd eavesdropped. But whatever they were talking about, Hermione had the slightest feeling that it was about that rude blonde boy.

She continued to trek through the grass and look around at the beauty and grandiosity of Hogwarts. It was actually a magical place, punny or not. That was where the _real_ magic happened, she thought. It wasn't all about the magic they learned in class but more than that. Meeting wizards and witches and the magical powers of the future. She smiled to herself. Having this walk and alone time definitely made her feel more thankful for what she had; that _is_, until she'd walk into the castle again, feeling that negative pull that would drown her in heartbreak.

As she stared ahead once more and felt another warm breeze hit her, more than that had hit her. _Those_ eyes hit her – those silvery eyes. They were fixed on her. They were locked in a gaze. She noticed him notice hers. Goosebumps trailed along her body. Now, she wasn't in love with him or anything but the way he looked at her, almost made her feel naked in front of him at this moment.

"Granger," he nodded, with a menacing tone of voice. "I was right, you know."

Their awkward moment was shot down by an eye roll coming from Hermione's chocolate brown eyes. She walked up to him, with a good meter of distance in between them. Who knew? He might want to hex her or tell her to stay away because she was filthy. He was dressed in his Slytherin robes, wandering about the school grounds. She wondered why he was here and why he was conversing with her. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe he just wanted to rub it in her face about how Ron dumped her. Yeah, that snake. That little git! Of course that was his plan, she thought to herself.

"I know what you're going to say, Malfoy," she seethed. "Just cut it out, okay?"

Draco Malfoy smirked to himself as he felt a gust of wind blow Hermione's wavy brown hair off of her face for a moment. She was actually pretty, for a muggle. Definitely prettier than Pansy or Daphne and definitely way too good for the Weasel, he decided. However, it wasn't something he would admit. Mudbloods were mudbloods and although he'd grown a little more tolerant towards Hermione, he still thought little of her for she was the Gryffindor princess and the school prude. She could probably count the number of people she kissed in her entire life, on one hand while if Draco tried to, he'd be all out of fingers and toes.

"Cut what out?" he asked her teasingly. He had his devilish trademark smirk plastered across his face. He could smell a faint vanilla smell coming from Granger. She smelled nice, he thought, for a mudblood anyways.

"Cut the whole 'I told you so' routine," she snapped back, wrinkling her nose in disgust for a moment.

"Oh _that_. Yeah, I was getting to that, scum," he sneered, causing Hermione's cheeks to flush with rage. She wanted to hex him on the spot, but she knew that if she did, she'd be in so much trouble. Besides, she had enough problems on her mind at this point. She didn't want another one involving expulsion or worse, Azkaban.

"I'm _not_ scum!" she shot back, knowing well that this was leading to nowhere.

"Oh really?" he snickered, pretending to be shocked as he raised his eyebrows. He folded his arms across his chest and looked down at Hermione challengingly. "Then how come Weasel disposed of you like a snotty napkin?"

"We're still _friends_, Malfoy!" she retorted. "It doesn't mean he disposed of me like that. And you make it sound so vile, you know. No wonder _Pansy_ even gave up on you."

She didn't exactly know what was coming past her lips because she was unsure of the whole scenario herself. However, as long as it would stun Draco, it was all she needed and her plan seemed to have worked because he flinched for a moment. Unfortunately, about half a second later, he burst out laughing, maniacally and sinisterly, putting Hermione on the spot and making her feel humiliated.

"Wow, Granger!" he guffawed, pretending to wipe away his tears of laughter. "I don't know _who_ your source is, but if it's that female Weasel, then she must be living under a rock. Get your facts straight!"

She tried to hide her crimson cheeks but there _was_ no way to hide because the wind kept gusting her way. Finally, she sighed.

"Fine, but what I _do_ know is that you were rude to her," she frowned, genuinely _not_ caring for Pansy Parkinson though she knew that he was probably very impolite, knowing him and his hostility towards people.

"Aren't I always?" he smirked smartly.

"You're uncouth with _everyone_, Malfoy. It's why we hate you," she raged huskily, hugging herself from the cold while looking up at Draco with an intense, angry glare.

"Who's _we_, Granger? I don't know who _we_ are," he responded. She hated his guts.

"Everyone," she replied, knowing she was lying through her teeth.

Draco then pretended to be insulted and placed his index finger on his lips, which Hermione looked at. They were a perfect shape, she thought. They curled up cunningly on the corners ever so slightly, giving him the permanent image of a smile, or if he changed his facial expressions slightly, a sneer. Hermione continued to hug herself from the cold and all Draco did was stand there and look down at her misery.

"I didn't know _everyone_ hated me, Granger. Like I said, get your facts straight," he chanted.

"Yeah, well now you know they hate you!" she scowled. "In fact, your house talks about you too."

She didn't know if that may have fueled his ego or made him feel worse but she knew this conversation would be over soon and he'd _still_ think that she was mudblood scum so really, whatever she said didn't really matter unless he projected it out loud at the Great Hall in front of the entire school.

"What did they say?" he asked curiously. Hermione didn't know if this was genuine curiosity.

"Talked about you and Pansy. That's how I got my facts mixed up," she admitted honestly, blushing a rosy pink at her own errors. She'd half expected Draco to laugh at her again, but he hadn't.

"Who was talking about me? Was it Pansy spreading around horrible things?" he asked, grabbing Hermione by the collar of her shirt. He hardly bothered to conceal the fact that half her bare chest was visible and his knuckles were grazing along the laciness underneath. Maybe if she looked away or cried, he'd steal a glance.

"No, now let _go_ of me!" she protested, pulling out her wand. She felt his hot breath on her face, and his perfect lips arching up into another sneer. She held her wand up to his face, unsure of what she was going to do next.

"_Fine_, hex me, you little mudblood. I dare you," he smirked, still holding onto her as he liked what he saw, forgetting the fact that what he saw belonged to the filthy mudblood. She sniffed and thought he smelled rather sweet, but it may have easily been the result of chocolates if he'd been licking those of Pansy's lacy body. She frowned at the thought of this. Why was she even _thinking_ about this. Draco opened his mouth again, "Well, hex me already. I'm waiting."

She couldn't do it. She'd get in trouble and she knew it, as much as she was tempted to do as she was told.

"I don't take orders from the likes of you," she grumbled, still holding her wand to his face. Within thirty seconds or so, a jet of water shot out from the tip of her wand, splashing all over Draco's no longer smug face. She smiled to herself as he let go of her. She toppled over backwards and caught her balance as she watched his wet face boil up in anger. It wasn't the anger and rage she'd expected, but she felt those eyes boring into her again, as if he could see her soul and what she thought.

Suddenly, she felt naked again.


	12. Contours

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thank you all so much for your support and reading, as well as reviews! You have no idea how much I appreciate you guys. Also, I might not have time to write that much so updates may be slower but I'll try my best to keep myself on track with this.  
_

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* * *

_CHAPTER 12: CONTOURS

"'Mione, are you okay?" asked Harry Potter, as he sat beside his best friend at the table. He and Hermione sat across from Ginny and Neville. Ron was on the far end of the Gryffindor table with Parvati and his current girlfriend Lavender. They were discussing the beautiful candles that were lit and suspended in the air near the ceiling. Did they have anything _better_ to talk about? And to think that those girls once judged Hermione for that.

"Yep," she lied flatly. Her voice was blank, but showed a slightly tired tone of voice as if she was sick and tired of everyone treating her like she'd fallen off of her broomstick – in which she hadn't even owned one. Everyone had expected her to be unhappy over her breakup with Ron. She _was_ unhappy, but she wasn't sulking because of that. She was sulking because she wanted to hex the brains out of Draco Malfoy.

"Are you sure, Hermione? You seemed so unhappy this afternoon," whispered Ginny softly, her eyebrows knitting together as she said this. Hermione was tempted to turn around and just stare back at Ginny blankly but she hadn't. It would have been rude. Besides, her friends cared about her and that was it. She was thankful for that.

"I'm fine, honest. Thanks though," she replied, trying to sound as sugary as possible, though her words ended up coming out bitterly. She began to peel pieces of her bread and dip it in her soup and press it against her lips. Her movements were mechanical and she didn't feel like moving. She'd most likely simmer down tomorrow from wanting to hex that snake, but she knew that she'd be angry tomorrow, because Lavender Brown and Ron Weasley were officially an item, as spread around by the venomous tongue of Parvati Patil. Why hadn't she ended up in Slytherin? Well, because she wasn't as toxic as the Slytherin girls and she'd easily be shot down quickly.

When she stared ahead, all she saw were those eyes staring back at her. Draco Malfoy was locking gazes with Hermione Granger again and she hated that. She was only looking at him because she hated him but perhaps he was doing the same. She wondered what was going on in his mind for a moment, and her focus seemed to wander off as Draco returned to the conversation he was having with his friends Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. Beside him was Pansy Parkinson, trying her hardest to grab his attention.

"Why do you keep glancing at the muggle?" queried Blaise haughtily as he took a sip of his pumpkin juice. He placed his goblet down on the table again and looked over to Draco.

"Because _she's_ staring at me," replied Draco, not knowing well himself why he was staring at her. Perhaps it was the fact that he found it amusing that she wanted to hex him. If he could drive her over the edge, surely, that would have been the most amusing thing.

"Maybe she likes you," suggested Pansy immaturely as she ran her fingers through her dark hair. Draco shot her a look and ignored her, making her flush a violent red and bite her lip to prevent her from crying. Honestly, why was he even ignoring her? She was so annoyed and this was all so unfair, she thought. She'd tried to blame Blaise for this. After all, he was the one that backed her up. Now she was humiliated and Blaise hadn't even cared about what he'd done to her. All he did was shrug and hope that she'd be okay. But there was no apology, and therefore, his response meant nothing to her.

"I heard that Weasley dumped her for Brown," smirked Theodore.

"Poor her," piped up Pansy, desperately darting her eyes about to catch the attention of the boys. Theodore or Blaise hadn't said anything. What _else_ could they say?

"She'll live," sighed Draco, resting his eyes for a second as he felt Pansy's hand on his thigh. He opened his eyes and gave her a warning look. "Get your hand off my thigh."

He'd said that rather loudly and bluntly, embarrassing Pansy as she flushed even redder than before, as if she had a lack of oxygen. Too bad nobody was around to help her. A couple of people turned her way and stared, while others tried to conceal their giggles by stuffing food in their mouths. Draco's lips pursed, daring Pansy to say something. She was glaring at him right in the eye and he was glaring at her right back. Blaise and Theodore were silent, but knew that Draco was not one to be tampered with, especially by an annoying ex. Honestly, he wished that she'd _stay_ away because he had enough of her.

"You're horrible, Draco Malfoy!" she exploded.

As soon as the smoke cleared, she was gone, and everyone around them was rather stunned after Pansy dashed out of the room in tears. It was as if she'd stopped the clock and everyone was staring. Draco muttered something under his breath and stared ahead, finding Hermione Granger stare back at him with a frown.

-

"Wow, Ron! That was _so_ amazing," gushed Lavender, sitting beside her boyfriend on the couch. He'd just told her a horrible joke. They were curled up before the fire, with Parvati, Neville, Harry and Ginny. Dean Thomas was standing over the other side of the couch and chatting with Parvati while they noisily gossiped about whatever was going on at school.

"I try, I try," he smiled, pretending to act posh.

"Ron, you are no Fred or George Weasley," snickered Ginny, as she playfully punched her brother's arm. He rubbed it and shot her a look.

"Of course, I'm _Ron_ Weasley," he nodded, gesturing at himself. Lavender giggled before Ginny could say anything, and rested her head on his shoulder, forcing his body to tense up. He wasn't used to this. Hermione never did this, or never needed him to be all precious with her. It was because they were best friends. _Were_ best friends, he thought to himself. Even though he was dating Lavender now, he still thought about Hermione frequently. He'd stolen a couple glances at her and she was at her usual place on the desk, her back facing the rest of the common room. She could probably hear every giggle, every flirt and every horrible joke.

Hermione flipped through her textbook, unable to keep focus because of her ex and his new girlfriend. Somehow she didn't call him a "friend". They said they were, but true friends would make sure the other one was okay. And since their little split, Ron hardly said a word to Hermione. She didn't blame him for it because she was too nervous to say anything as well. Perhaps with time, they would learn to open their mouths again – _or _not. They might be mute with each other for the rest of their lives, and they obviously couldn't bear that.

"Hermione, join the conversation and give yourself a break," grinned Ginny as she yelled out to her friend. Hermione shrugged off the request for her to join. There was no way she was going to sit down and pretend everything was okay, while listening to Lavender crack up and snuggle with Ron on the couch.

She turned around acknowledged them all politely, except for Ron, and noticed a false smile from Lavender and Parvati, while Harry and Neville smiled at her in the same way, nervously. Geez, she didn't need a bloody _pity_ party, she thought.

"It's okay, Gin. But thanks, I want to take a walk outside," she replied, slamming her textbook shut.

-

"Ouch!" squealed Hermione, as she felt something crush her ankle. The figure tripped over her and hit the ground. She had been lying down and staring up at the stars for a good twenty minutes now. And although it probably wasn't a wise decision to be sneaking out at night – even on school grounds, she wanted to get her mind clear of things. She thought that there'd be no way that Filch, the angry caretaker, would come out here. And even if she did, she'd borrowed Harry's Invisibility Cloak just in case. He was very friendly and supportive and hadn't asked too many questions, which was good.

"Blimey! What _was_ that?" asked an angry voice. Hermione's eyes scanned the area, noticing a blonde boy dressed in gray and green. Draco Malfoy. It was hard to recognize him, but she found the gold in his hair quite familiar, along with the fact that he was dressed in Slytherin colours.

"The scum; but geez, watch it, Malfoy! You don't want to get caught," snapped Hermione gruffly, clutching her ankle as she rubbed it. It was painful but she knew she would live. She crawled over to Draco nearby. He sat up and rubbed the grime off of his body.

"_You_ watch it, you mudblood!" he shot back, trying to be rude while being quiet.

"Whatever, let me see if you're okay," sighed Hermione. Although she hadn't liked Draco and he hadn't liked her, something at that moment made her care. Draco shielded his face, not wanting anyone to see him look the way he did. Hermione was standing in front of him and watching him rub his eyes. "Let me see."

"Get away, mudblood. Haven't you caused enough trouble for one day?" he lashed out.

"I'm trying to _help_, Malfoy," she grumbled. Besides, it wasn't as if she could see anything in the dark. "In case you haven't noticed, _I'm_ hurt too."

Hermione was honestly going to be okay, but if Malfoy suffered more than she did, she wondered if he would blame her and say that she hurt him. Still, she knew that nobody would buy _his_ side of the story since he was Draco Malfoy. Hermione Granger, the sweet Gryffindor princess, would never hurt the snake unless she had a good reason.

"Fine," he groaned, hoping that nobody was around to see this.

"Yeah, yeah," she frowned, rolling her eyes. "You can sanitize yourself later to get my mudblood germs off of you."

She took out her wand and whispered something under her breath. Within a few seconds, Draco was fine again and he ran his fingers across his handsome face, the dirt and grime was off of his face. He thanked her under his breath, a little embarrassed by the fact that a little mudblood had helped him. Hermione shrugged and thought she heard him mumble something, but it was probably an insult, she decided. Way to add insult to injury.

"Whatever, Granger," shrugged Draco, using a slightly kinder tone of voice. "What are you even doing out here? I thought Astronomy classes were Tuesday nights and _not_ out _here_."

"They _are_ on Tuesday nights. I just came out here to think," she drawled, clutching Harry's Invisibility Cloak under her arm. She sat down on the cool, dewy grass and massaged her ankle with a whimper. Draco sat beside her, as surprising as that sounded. Nobody was watching and it was just the two of them anyways. He was actually sort of interested in knowing what Hermione was trying to think _of_. He didn't want to admit it, but he was.

"_Episkey_," whispered Draco, with a swish of his wand as he pointed it at Hermione's ankle. He heard her gasp as it felt very hot and then very cold. "That's for cleaning me up, though I could have done it myself anyways."

"Okay, what are you doing out here?" queried Hermione. She hadn't even thanked him. Why? It wasn't as if he thanked _her_ anyways, she thought. Too bad she hadn't heard him. She touched her ankle and felt a little grateful for Draco's presence. She'd forgotten about that spell until he mentioned it. Draco rested his chin on his elbow as he lounged on the grass like a bored student. Hermione hugged her knees and blushed in the dark. She didn't _like_ Draco or anything, but he actually had quite a charismatic character. Maybe it was the fact that she couldn't see his trademark smirk at night.

"Same reason you're here," he replied grouchily. He then sighed as he placed his wand back inside of his pocket after watching Hermione do the same.

"I'm not avoiding Pansy," she smirked.

"No, but _you're_ avoiding Weasel," he commented snidely. What was Draco Malfoy, hater of muggles, doing talking to one? Hermione sighed. Tomorrow, he'd probably be back mocking her again anyways.

"Yeah, I am. Why are you even wasting your time with me?" she'd admitted that to Draco, knowing that there'd be no point in him wanting to spread that piece of information around anyways.

"I'm wasting it, but not wasting it _with_ you. You see, my roommates have playmates tonight," he snickered arrogantly. Though he probably should've felt shameful that he didn't have one, he didn't want to bother getting Pansy all bunched up about it. He was avoiding her and that went without saying. Hermione didn't have to ask him to admit that because she probably already knew.

"You gits," murmured Hermione, rolling her brown eyes as she watched a shooting star shoot through the sky. Back home, she'd make a wish. She wondered if those shooting stars were _even_ shooting stars. It may have easily been a spell cast by a wizard or witch. But she could take her chances. After all, her wishes never came true. So if this one did, she could at least smile after her split with Ron.

"You're just a prude, mudblood," sighed Draco, scratching his head as the night breeze hit him.

"I wish that I was more adventurous," she mumbled to herself. She didn't know what prompted her to say that. But it may have been the fact that a sense of adventure had stolen Ron away from her.

Draco couldn't hear her drawl on because he was too busy focusing on that same shooting star. He wondered if it was a shooting star and what they were all about. Oh well, he should've gone to those Astronomy classes. He knew a great deal about that kind of stuff from the library he had at home. It was so stocked up that it was nearly as large as the library at Hogwarts. As he stared back at the school, he saw some well-lit windows in the castle. It was a beautiful place, really. He smiled to himself as he tried to imagine a flustered Theodore Nott try to fool around with some of the fifth years. Yeah, because he liked younger women sometimes.

He continued to stare ahead, with something disturbing his thoughts. He thought he spotted two figures approach him and Hermione. One was small and mewling while the other one looked haggard and larger. He squinted his eyes to see who they were and then his eyes widened.

"_Granger_, it's Filch!" he whispered huskily.

"What?" she snapped, trying to look for what he was talking about. He better not have been joking around.

Draco immediately grabbed Hermione's wrist and they made a dash behind one of the trees that grew on the school grounds. When he'd done that, Hermione's heart fluttered. His grasp on her wrist had a burning feeling sear all over. No, she didn't like him because she _hated_ him. It was probably the quick thrill of leaping away in adventure. She liked it. As soon as they'd made it behind the tree, Hermione wrapped Harry's Invisibility Cloak around the both of them. It hardly fit the two of them so they had to stand rather closely to each other. They stood so closely in silence that Draco could smell a faint vanilla aroma in the air and Hermione could smell his unidentifiable, yet sweet smell. Maybe that's what made girls go crazy for him – because he was a man of mystery? She wanted to laugh.

"Come on, Mrs. Norris. I don't think anyone's out here," grumbled the old man, as he shone his lamp around the area. He wasn't usually one for heading outside because his job was to walk around the halls and catch students out of bed – well, as deciphered by him, of course.

Filch and his cat veered back into the school, leaving Draco and Hermione all bunched up together under the Invisibility Cloak. Why they'd just saved each other from detention, nobody knows. But perhaps it was an act of gratefulness. Perhaps it was the fact that they knew they'd blame each other if one of them were caught. And maybe, just maybe, none of those possibilities were correct.


	13. Bends

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: I think I'm feeling a little happier and not as depressed as before. Writing makes me happier, so does listening to music and talking to friends. Thanks for your support and reviews!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 13: BENDS

"Her-_mi­one_," chanted Ginny Weasley, as she waved her hand in front of her friend's face. She flinched as she nearly knocked over her bowl of oatmeal. Ginny bit her pink lip. "Wow, Hermione, what's up with you today _and_ what was up yesterday? First, you study too much and second, you leave for a walk around the school grounds and return hours later."

Hermione quickly stared at Ginny with squinting brown eyes. She blinked. What was she going to say? That she was having a nice chat with Draco Malfoy and then Filch came along and they hid together? Oh, and perhaps she could've thrown in the fact that he thought Ginny lived under a rock. She tried to conceal a smirk on her face with the thought of that.

"Who told you I returned hours later?" asked Hermione, who held onto her spoon with two fingers as she stirred the light almond brown gunk in her bowl that was beginning to harden with every second that passed.

"Lavender told me. She _is_ your roommate, you know," huffed Ginny, her cheeks glowing pink as she said this.

"Since when did she pay attention to me? I thought she'd be with Ron," countered Hermione. Ginny hadn't said anything else because her attention had been diverted into Harry's direction, where Luna Lovegood was sitting beside him at the Gryffindor table. She was dressed in a loose lilac sundress that Ginny thought made her look positively angelic. Well, the only problem with that was that that angel stealing her handsome devil!

These past few days, Ginny had spent less time thinking about Harry. A flame inside of her still burned, but it had been a yellow flame, not as red as before. Seeing him alone made her want to walk up to him but never had she done this alone. She had guts, she truly did. But when she was with Harry, she'd feel that flame inside her jump up into a red one, as red as her hair. She bit her lip as Luna giggled at something inaudible coming from Harry. Even Neville Longbottom had stopped to laugh while his mouth was full of his bagel.

Harry was all smiles. And with Luna, well, they weren't exactly touching bodies or really holding hands. Ginny was tempted to find out from Ron though she was actually pretty scared of what his response might be. She looked to the other side of the table and spotted Lavender feeding Ron a grape. What in Merlin _was_ this? She felt ill from this and it hadn't even been Valentine's Day yet! She didn't know Single's Awareness Day occurred _twice_ in a year…

"Harry, you'll be in for a huge surprise at the Masked Ball tomorrow night," announced Luna proudly. Harry tried to grin, only trying to imagine what type of outfit she'd come up with. It was sweet, really.

"That's amazing, Luna. I can't wait," he beamed, taking a sip of his cranberry juice. He'd taken a liking to cranberry juice since Luna introduced him to such an exotic drink, which really wasn't as exotic as he thought. There were tons of these back at the Dursley's. At some point, Harry's Aunt Petunia was obsessed with these drinks. The list went on; pear juice, pomegranate juice – heck, she even had _blueberry_ juice. What was even up with that? Harry never dared to open the fridge to drink that because it was apparently a part of the Dursley's "dieting tradition", which wasn't exactly a tradition. Since Harry was a "Potter", he needed not apply. However, he knew that they had their phases and if he went back right now to check on their fridge, they'd probably be expired and rotting away.

"You better!" smiled Luna, her big eyes growing bigger by the minute. "And I hope that our outfits will match just fine. Like, _perfectly_. Because I know you don't want to clash colours."

Luna blushed for a moment and Harry leaned his shoulder against hers for a moment, causing the blush to creep up all over her face. She tried to ignore the fact that Cho Chang had been watching from a distance with her eyebrows furrowed together. Cho didn't exactly _have_ feelings for Harry, but she didn't like it when boys got over her. Having boys _like_ her made her feel powerful sometimes. And sometimes, when boys like Cedric Diggory were gone, there were boys that were second best – like the wonder boy himself!

"Well, as long as your baby blue matches my baby blue tie," he snickered playfully.

"Yeah, I know," she said softly, returning his snicker with a nudge. "Besides, you better not walk around Hogsmeade trying to find out what I got!"

As Ginny was able to eavesdrop on half of this conversation, she smirked to herself. She just came up with a wonderful plan.

-

"Hey, where _were_ you last night?" asked Theodore Nott as he lay on his bed. He was dressed in a fitted navy blue sweater and black pants. He was lying on his back while a lucky fifth year Ravenclaw lay on top of him. He turned to her for a moment as she kissed his chin. "You know, I always thought Ravenclaw had the wisest girls."

He ran a finger down the curve of her back, resting it above her bottom teasingly. Draco Malfoy winced at this. Tomorrow, he'd be with another girl or perhaps his date for the Masked Ball. Blaise Zabini was on the other side of the room, levitating things around with his wand, as bored as that hunk could be. Too bad he had no girl today.

"I was out," responded Draco weakly. He couldn't have admitted the fact that he talked to a _mudblood_ last night and even hid with her from Filch to avoid detention. He smirked as he remembered the touch of his skin against hers. They'd been glued together for what seemed like an eternity. But thank Merlin it was over. He didn't want to be caught dead standing that close to a mudblood unless he were torturing one.

"Out _where_, my friend? While we were cooped up with our _company_ last night, _you_ hadn't even bothered to stick around," drawled Blaise hurriedly. "We had a good time and you missed it all. Who were you afraid of – Pansy?"

"No, I was just out," he replied flatly. "Besides, I don't care about Pansy. She's out of my life."

"It's okay, man. I took care of her. She was bawling so badly that I couldn't just leave her there so she's going with me to the ball," grimaced Theodore, not acknowledging the Ravenclaw girl's pout. Theodore actually didn't think too badly of Pansy Parkinson. It was just that he hadn't appreciated picking up, well, his roommate's "scraps".

Draco shifted in his bed as he didn't know whether he should've thanked his friend or not. It was an unnecessary thing for him to do anyways. He wanted Pansy to feel sad, lonely and humiliated so that she'd never try to make a move on him again. Besides, she didn't actually _love_ him. She _wanted_ him. She wanted him for his title, for popularity and for the loads of galleons his family had. But perhaps that's how the purebloods lived. Maybe Draco wanted more. Or maybe he was just losing his head.

"Thanks, I suppose," frowned Draco. He didn't now if he should've thanked him or not.

"No problem," grinned Theodore mischievously, as his hands hiked up the shirt of the Ravenclaw girl.

"Geez, get a room," snickered Blaise loudly. He was still on his back and looking up at the ceiling as he said this. He thought he noticed Draco wince from the corner of his eye. He was getting way too little action, thought Blaise. Since when did the boy become so prude?

"We _are_ in one," responded Theodore, grunting slightly as the girl slid her cool hands up his bare chest. "And we might have more privacy if we were alone."

"Yeah, we get the hint. Try not to have too much fun," retorted Blaise with a sly grin.

-

Ginny Weasley sat in the Gryffindor common room's couch beside Hermione Granger, who'd been lounging around by herself. The girl was missing out on so much. On the other side of the room, students were drinking and giggling about. If they were caught, Hermione would not be in the middle of this. She turned around for a moment to notice Ron and Lavender lying on the ground and speaking loudly with slurred words.

"Hey Hermione, could you help me with a little project?" asked Ginny innocently. She had her legs folded and had her arms kept to her sides as she stared at Hermione with big eyes. Hermione rolled her own eyes, knowing that something was up.

"Do I have to keep a secret or something?" sighed Hermione.

"It'd be great if you could. So do you promise not to tell _anyone_ about this? Not Harry, not Ron, not anyone!" whispered Ginny huskily. She didn't see much of a point in trying to keep it so hushed because nobody could hear her from the drunken babblers. Hermione blinked twice and nodded, having no idea what she was agreeing to. But if this was _that_ serious, she supposed that she could promise. But if not, it could be another one of her flukes, where Ginny asked her to keep secrets about boyfriends, flings and various forms of cheating on tests.

"Yeah," replied Hermione nonchalantly. She twirled a lock of her brown hair around her slender index finger.

"Could you teach me how to brew the Polyjuice Potion?" asked Ginny weakly.

"_Okay_, what's the deal here?" groaned Hermione. Ginny had been quiet and secretive and she wanted to know what was going on.

"I can't tell you but all I can say is that I need it by tomorrow afternoon," replied Ginny. She placed a lock of her red hair behind one ear and folded her arms across her chest. "So you're either going to teach me or not."

Hermione could totally resist Ginny's little anger fit. She knew that this girl was persistent and if it was urgent, in which it probably was, she'd be even more annoying about it. But this was Ginny, who'd gossiped with her and cared for her. Perhaps a simple no wouldn't fracture their friendship, but it would probably make Ginny think twice before helping Hermione or comforting her the next time she needed it. But with a strand of brightness in Hermione's body, she smiled and nodded – once again, having no idea what she was getting caught in.

"Great," smirked Ginny, a smile curling upon her pink lips.


	14. Splinters

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your support and reviews!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 14: SPLINTERS

"Sorry Hermione, I thought you were sick today since I didn't see you at breakfast," whispered Lavender Brown coyly. Her big blue eyes batted as she looked up at Hermione, who was late for class because she'd slept in after trying to work with Ginny's little project. Hermione mentally rolled her eyes as she stood in the middle of the classroom, in the aisle that split the room in half. Last time in Potions, Ron had sat in between Hermione and Lavender but this time, Lavender made sure that her knapsack and books took first priority and took up a whole seat. Hermione had a pointed look on her face and noticed that Ron couldn't even look at her. So much for being a friend, thought Hermione.

"Since when would you notice if I'm around or not?" muttered Hermione under her breath. She thought that Ron may have heard this because he wrinkled his nose slightly. Hermione placed a glossy lock of hair behind her ear.

Professor Slughorn looked at the two girls and nervous boy in between them. Ron sunk in his seat as he felt a protective arm link around his own. His face was as red as his hair as he looked at Professor Slughorn, who was dressed in a crimson vest over a pink dress shirt. His brass buttons were the colour of rust, which matched in a citrus hue, with his olive green slacks. He was a fashion disaster today, but he was into those types of colours anyways.

"Ms. Granger and Ms. Brown, is there something you'd like to share with the class?" he asked hoarsely, his big eyes bigger than ever. His chin was tilted down and he looked at the two of them suspiciously. Before either girl could open their mouths, the professor opened his. "Ms. Granger, I suppose that you may sit beside Mr. Macmillan this class. There is an empty seat."

Hermione nodded as the professor pointed to the empty seat. She shot Lavender a look before reclining on the chair beside Ernie Macmillan, who briefly smiled at Hermione, in hopes of softening her knitted eyebrows. Ernie was nice, smart and intelligent. Perhaps he was like the male version of herself. Sometimes, that freaked her out. She smiled back at him and felt a finger on her shoulder two seconds later. She spun to her side to find Ernie looking at her while Professor Slughorn was rambling on about the importance of punctuality. She was lucky that she hadn't lost any points for Gryffindor.

"So…are you going to the ball tonight?" gulped Ernie, pretending to be flipping through his textbook for a moment. He pretended not to notice Draco Malfoy in front of them, snickering to himself as he shook his blonde head. Hermione bit her lip and flipped through her textbook as well.

"No, I'm not," she replied flatly. She blinked her brown eyes and pouted.

"Why not?" queried Ernie, turning to her more. Ernie had been sitting alone in class for the past few days and he appreciated the fact that he now had some company. He ran his fingers through his hair and Hermione shrugged at first, trying to think of an answer that would keep him quiet. She didn't really want the professor to think poorly of her. She'd been late to class, and then fighting over a seat with Lavender. The last thing she needed was to look bored and talkative.

"I don't have a date and I'm not really interested. I'm busy," lied Hermione. It sounded so desperate to just say she wouldn't go because she didn't have a date. Besides, she didn't want Ernie to feel awkward about not wanting to talk about the Ron-and-Hermione-breakup topic. He probably knew about it though. He wasn't _that_ out of the loop.

"The teacher's didn't really give us homework," he mumbled. Why couldn't he just shut up? It was like Hermione's own alter ego annoying herself. Okay, well perhaps that was an exaggeration. Ernie was a really nice guy but ugh, sometimes he was annoying – especially when he tagged along with Hannah Abbott. She had this permanent pink look on her face that made her look like a drunkard at times.

"Well, you know me. I like to stay ahead," she grimaced.

"Learn to live," nodded Ernie snidely.

Hermione ignored Ernie muttering under his breath and turned red as she spotted Draco turn around for a moment. What was he going to do? Rub it in her face because she didn't have a date? And then rub it in some more because Ernie of all people told her to get a life and learn to live? Perhaps Ernie _was _right though. Besides, the ball would be masked so nobody would be able to tell who would be who. A brilliant idea flashed through Hermione's mind.

-

Hermione sat on a bench in the middle of the hall, watching students gossip and walk by in groups of twos and threes. She had a while before she'd have Divination. Personally, she found the whole course to be utterly useless. But she wanted to keep her options open. She twirled a lock of hair around her fingers as she hummed to herself, spotting a sneering Draco Malfoy walk up to her. His golden blonde hair was styled to perfection and his gray eyes bored into hers. He looked down at her as he stood in front of her, folding his arms in front of his chest, attracting the attention of Ron Weasley, who was kissing Lavender Brown in a corner.

"What do you want?" she grumbled, looking up at with her eyebrows knitted together.

"Just letting you know that nobody's allowed to know about that incident," he frowned, returning the same amount of politeness as Hermione had just given him. She bit her lip and felt a blush appear on her face. She inhaled and exhaled, smelling sweetness.

"It's not like I'd _want_ to tell anyone about it anyways," she sighed, crossing her legs as she folded her arms across her chest. It had been rather humiliating – getting caught under a cloak with her enemy. If she told Ron or Harry, they'd probably be pissed. Well, actually, Ron would probably be too busy with Lavender to care. At the corner of her eye, she spotted Ron sliding his arm around Lavender's waist. Hermione bit her lip. Maybe that's why he dumped her – because Lavender was a better catch. That git, she thought.

"Okay, you don't have anyone to talk to _anyways_," he smirked devilishly. If he wasn't so handsome, Hermione would have slapped him across the face already. Her lips were pursed as she felt a pressure on her chest. She stood up and stared up at Draco with angry eyes. She was about to flee. This was humiliating – probably more humiliating than hiding under a cloak with him. Besides, it'd be more embarrassing for _him._

"Who says I don't?" she snapped, swinging her knapsack over her shoulder and marching off before she felt an arm pull her back in. It was the same move that had been done on her or the past couple days. Her past couple days had been a wreck anyways and she didn't see how things could be fixed. She felt tears well up in her eyes. Her glares must have been fueled by the envy that she placed in other people.

"Your ex-boyfriend's pawing Brown – and I was right about them. I reckon Potter is caught in his own fairytale and you? You're a wreck," sneered Draco softly, his perfect lips about an inch from Hermione's ear. He could smell her fresh aroma of vanilla today and it made him wrinkle his nose slightly. He wasn't used to this type of smell.

"And you're not a wreck, Malfoy?" she shot back, staring right into his silvery eyes. She had guts, decided Malfoy. She felt herself flush. A smile curled on the corner of his lips. She hated that smile. It was such a smug thing that he'd do. She just wanted to slap him so hard it'd fall off his face.

"Not as much as you, no," he replied, letting go of her. His eyes narrowed as he snickered and watched her flustered face redden. She stumbled a few steps and disappeared into the crowd of aspiring witches and wizards.

-

"Luna, how's it going?" asked Ginny Weasley, as she was pacing outside the Ravenclaw common room. She hoped that she'd be able to run into Luna so that they could discuss a couple things. Ginny embraced Luna, who blushed. Her hands were pressed against her long, blonde hair. Ginny had never hugged her like that before. Perhaps they were going to be better friends.

"I'm doing amazing. I'm _so_ excited for tonight," she grinned, as she broke from their friendly embrace. Luna's eyes were twinkling and Ginny decided that she was probably fantasizing of her and Harry on the dance floor. Not for long, she smirked. Her plan was rude, and would take everyone by surprise. Ooh Merlin, the things girls would do for their wonder boys.

"Yeah?" flushed Ginny. She placed a lock of her red hair behind an ear, eyeing Luna's radish earrings. She placed her hands in her robe pocket for a moment, causing Luna to raise an eyebrow. The awkward thought that flashed through her mind quickly disappeared.

"Oh! Let me show you my dress before next period! It's amazing!" beamed Luna proudly. What _could_ Ginny do? Besides, she was aching to see Luna's dress. She promised herself that she'd run out during lunch to run her own personal errands while hoping that Hermione Granger wouldn't catch on to her little plan.

"Okay," agreed Ginny, feeling a thrill run through her veins. The thought of making her plan work _and _the thought of entering a different common room was thrilling enough, as lame as that may have sounded.

Oh well, newness was a beautiful thing – but so is honesty…


	15. Fractures

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your support and reviews! Special thanks to __**Aiyoku Saotome**__ for warning me about the Polyjuice Potion! I know these things probably don't lie around with Snape anyways. Sorry about that._

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 15: FRACTURES

"Has anyone seen Ginny?" queried Ron softly, as he stuffed a croissant in his mouth. He looked around the area, receiving shrugs from Parvati and Harry. Lavender giggled as she ran her index finger over the corner of his lips. He blushed in embarrassment as he avoided a nasty glare from Hermione Granger, whose face was so close to her bowl of soup that Lavender thought she'd lose her head in it.

"I saw her earlier this morning," piped up Luna Lovegood, as she sat on an empty chair beside Harry. She grinned at him for a moment. No kiss, no holding hands, nothing. Hermione smiled. At least _one_ of her best friends weren't going to forget her anytime soon. She detested the way Lavender stole Ron away. What a scheming, conniving little rat!

"As long as she's alright and _not_ up to no good," sighed Ron, feeling a blush creep down to his neck as Lavender placed a hand on his thigh, stroking it gently. He tensed up. Hermione was never really such a tease. He thought about how she must have felt. He felt horrible sometimes and just uncaring during other times. Hermione wasn't even _speaking_ to him, so why should he have done the same? If she was going to ignore him, then she may as well have done the same.

"But why not? You guys are _always_ up to no good," snickered Parvati, feeling a fiery gaze pierce the side of her neck, coming from a set of very angry brown eyes. She focused on the blushing spreading throughout Ron's body.

Before Lavender Brown could open her big mouth, Hermione rose from her seat, causing a creaking noise from the chair that squeaked against the floor. A few heads turned her way, and turned back to their meals in silence. She tucked her chair in as she calmly collected herself.

"Right you are," cooed Lavender, breaking the silence. She took a sip of her tea as she watched Hermione wander off and out of the Great Hall. Her steps were heavy and her eyes were watery. Lavender shot a look at Ron, as if he should have gone to talk to her. Lavender and Hermione weren't exactly on good terms anyways. If she said anything to her, she'd most likely tune out.

As Hermione left the Great Hall, she felt eyes on her, daring her to cry and forcing her to feel weak at the knees. She just wanted to go. These past few days had been absolute hell. Perhaps it was an exaggeration. There were plenty of things she'd rather _not_ be going through than this – the list went on; such as Potions for life with Professor Snape, or even having all the Slytherin calling her names until she bawled or lost it.

A chill crept down her spine as she turned a corner. She heard footsteps behind her as she watched a couple of first years pass by her with confused stares. What were they so confused about? She was just a heartbroken, sad, stupid, crying girl! No, she wasn't. She was more than that and stronger than that. As long as she kept her cool, she'd be fine. She couldn't help but _want_ to cry though. As she looked back, she knew that she hadn't always taken interest in Ron Weasley and now, well, he seemed appealing to her because of the psychological things that affected her – that whole thing where "you never know what you had until it's gone". Only in most dramas and muggle movies, it'd be the _boy_ that would experience that and _not_ the girl. She sighed deeply.

"'Mione?" asked Ron quietly, placing an index finger on her shoulder. Hermione spun around, shuddering from his close contact. He withdrew his finger. They hadn't been that close since their relationship ended. Hermione backed off a little bit, wondering if she should have left or not. She gazed into his blue eyes, filled with care and clouded with worry. She blinked twice. He had a _girlfriend_ who he hooked up with after cheating on Hermione. Did this guy even feel guilty? Perhaps this was just another one of Lavender's schemes.

"What is it, Ronald?" she asked huskily. She ground her teeth together as he tried to move closer.

"I was just trying to see if you were okay. Please don't be cross," he said.

"It's sort of hard _not_ to be cross in case you haven't noticed," chided Hermione. Her wavy hair framed her angry face that had a bit of peacefulness to it. Ron stared at her lips, for a moment wondering about how wonderful it felt to have those lips on his own, sucking on her neck as she'd glide magic down his body with her fingers. He shouldn't have been thinking thoughts. Even though they'd broken up, Ron still had a vulnerable soft spot for Hermione Granger.

"Sorry," he frowned. He honestly didn't know what else to say. But he certainly felt shame sting him.

"Is that all you can say?" murmured Hermione. She then continued with a sharp tone of voice that rung in Ron's ears. "If you're done talking to me, then I'll be off to my dorm room. Have a nice day."

Hermione turned around and left a guilty Ron behind. Despite the fact that he'd tried to be nice, his efforts weren't good enough. Perhaps life was more like a muggle movie after all.

"I could save you a dance tonight!" he called out optimistically. He expected Hermione to turn around and smile at him with secret hopes of getting back together with him. But _ooh_ Merlin was he mistaken. She'd turned around with a fuming glare.

"You sure know your jokes, Ron. No wonder Lavender loves you so much," she shrugged, trying to sound as patient as possible with him before she'd throw a big, wobbly scream at him. She sure felt like doing that and meanwhile, couldn't have missed the disappointed look on his face. It was as if the wind had been knocked out of his sails. Served him right, thought Hermione.

"No, really. I'll save you a dance tonight," he nodded. He stepped closer to her as he grabbed her arm, a little too tightly. His grip on her was too tight, so tight that she couldn't even walk off.

"Ronald Weasley, if you don't let go if me, I will hex you," she seethed, muttering under her breath as she looked up at him, her angry brown orbs shining in the dimly lit corridor.

"And if you don't agree to dance with me, I won't let you go," he continued, looking smug as he said this. Hermione thought of a comeback. She really didn't want to sound mean – but how _conceited_ was he? Did he think that pitying her and offering her a dance would make her feel happy and joyful again? Not likely! You can't just break a girl's heart and expect her to crawl back into welcoming arms. It doesn't work like that, not even in the muggle community!

"Thanks for the pity, Ronald. Just because Lavender thinks you're the best, doesn't mean I do too. Please just get _over_ yourself!" she growled, pulling her wand out from her free hand. She pointed it up to Ron's face, and she heard him gulp loudly. His grip tightened on her. Their eyes were locked in a gaze and a wave of familiarity washed over Hermione. She bit her lip, daring Ron to continue gripping her so tightly. Her lips trembled as she opened them. "Now, it'd be nice if you could let go and we could all be on our merry ways."

-

Ginny Weasley returned a couple minutes before class would begin. She'd gone out during lunch to run her little errand. She was glad and satisfied with what she'd done. Sometimes she felt guilty about it, but other times, she loved the feeling. She sat on her bed and closed her eyes for a moment, relishing a naughty kiss in her mind. Her body wrinkled and matched with the burgundy colour of her comforter. As her head tilted sideways towards the desk, filled with papers, textbooks and writing utensils, her eyes rested on a little brown package. It must have been the potion that Hermione promised her. She smiled as she read the note that was plastered underneath the package.

_Ginny,  
Do you know how hard it was to nab one of these from under Snape's nose? These things don't just lie around, you know! Next time you ask me, please ask me in advance because it takes about a month to brew the potion; not that you would know or anything. I hope you enjoy it, and please don't do anything stupid._

_- Hermione_

She really owed Hermione one. Fiddling with a strand of blonde hair from her robes, her smile grew brighter.

-

"Ron," smiled Lavender, hiking up her black and white plaid kilt as her eyes darted down at her bare legs. She giggled. They'd mustered up the courage to sneak into the girl's bathroom which was luckily empty at the time – aside from some sniffling and such. Lavender turned to Ron for a second as they kissed each other all the way to the sink. Lavender opened her mouth and broke the kiss. "Geez, someone's got to tell Myrtle to lay off the tears."

Ron stifled his laughter, remembering that the bathroom could hold many secrets, as well as many groans, moans and memories that would echo about. He lifted Lavender up on the sink and for a moment, checked himself out in the mirror. He saw someone he hadn't recognized. His eyes were the same, the same caring type that he had when he was still with Hermione. But his other traits? Well, his freckles paled a little more now and his lips always had a kissable sort of look. Heck, he'd even started moisturizing his lips because Lavender kept complaining about how chapped they were. Hermione had never complained about that!

"She won't be the only one crying anytime soon," he whispered, running his fingers through Lavender's brilliant brown hair. She watched him undo her robe. Their relationship so far hadn't been overly physical so they hadn't planned to do _it_ anytime soon. She smiled at him as she watched her robe fall to the floor, revealing a plain white dress shirt untucked over her kilt.

As their lips mashed up together again, creating a light crushing noise, Ron felt Lavender's hands trail up his torso. Beads of sweat formed at the back of his neck as she pulled him closer, so close that he could smell the rosy perfume she had on. He smiled against her soft neck, planting feathery kisses down her shirt as he clumsily unbuttoned each button while pressing his lips against each bit of newly exposed skin.

"Please don't stop," whimpered Lavender, rubbing one of her thighs against Ron's side. She thought she heard more sobbing from the stalls. She'd make a mental note later to complain about Moaning Myrtle. But right now, she was certain enjoying the little "bathroom break" she was having.

Ron groaned as he helped Lavender out of her dress shirt. He gazed at all her pride and glory as he noticed her sucking in her stomach. He reached out to trace the curve of her sides, down her ribs, down her defined waist, and out at her hips that met with her kilt. His touch was warm and lustful, as was his gaze. Before Ron could object, Lavender pulled him in and began to rip at his shirt violently, letting it fall to the floor as he was in a white t-shirt underneath. His hair was messed up in a seductive sort of way, and she could almost see the slight muscle buildup from his workouts. She smiled to herself as Ron kissed her lips.

"You're amazing," he grinned, eyeing her bold choice of lingerie appreciatively – a bright red laciness. Lavender blushed pink as she fiddled with one of the straps on her shoulder, slipping it down slowly as she noticed a bulge from below Ron's stomach. She winked at him.

"Only if you want," she said throatily. She had something tick at the back of her mind. What if someone came and found them like this? Not only would she get in trouble, but Ron would be in even more trouble for being inside the girl's bathroom. Everyone would find out and it would be overly humiliating.

"_Now_, Lavender? I sort of pictured this differently," he mumbled teasingly, as he ran his fingers down the laciness, making her exhale softly through her swollen lips.

"You pictured this, Ron?" she blushed. She placed her own hand on top of his and ran it over herself as she grinned at him. He smiled right back and pulled away as he heard a shuffling noise. He looked around but all he heard were sniffles.

"We should go," he murmured, avoiding Lavender's disappointed look. He passed her clothes over to her and watched her slide into them in awkwardness as he threw his sweater back on while fixing his hair.

"How about tonight?" she asked mischievously, working at her buttons. "Besides, with Moaning Myrtle here in the stall, we'd never get anywhere. Seriously, could we just kick the stall door open and tell her to stop sobbing?"

Ron smiled at her and shrugged, feeling nervous.

"Yeah, sure," he replied, walking up to the locked stall door and banging at it loudly. A clanging noise was made on the toilet seat as the sobbing turned into breaths and gasps. Lavender wrapped her robe back around herself. They'd been gone for a while. Ron continued to bang against the door in hopes of annoying the little ghost. He felt a little guilty because he couldn't blame poor Myrtle for sobbing like that. She'd been in there for years anyways, crying her little ghost heart out.

"You have to hit it harder, like this," growled Lavender, banging at the door so loudly that the noise echoed throughout the bathroom. As she was about to bang it one more time, they heard the lock unlatch. Their heart skipped beats. The two of them expected Myrtle to jump out at them but it hadn't happened. In fact, it wasn't Myrtle that was on the toilet. It was a sobbing brunette in her Hogwarts uniform with the Gryffindor crest emblazoned over her chest.

_Hermione_.


	16. Copies

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your support and reviews! Sorry there's no Draco and Hermione in this chapter!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 16: COPIES

Hermione lay in her bed as she noticed Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil gush over each other's gorgeousness. She felt so down after hearing Lavender and Ron getting it on in the bathroom. For all she knew, she could end up turning into a ghost because of the hurt she had welled up inside of her. She recalled how awkward it had been when they found out that she'd been listening in on them the entire time. Lavender was fuming and Ron was extremely nervous. It would actually have been a highly amusing experience – only if you weren't those three.

She lay in the fetal position as she hugged herself, unfamiliar warmth creeping over her body. As soon as the girls would leave, she'd get her plan in action. Lately, she learned how to conjure up spells that could fix her hair and such. She wasn't one for cosmetic spells and she would have rather done it herself instead of being a gooey mannequin.

"Lavender, Ron's going to have a good go at you tonight," smiled Parvati, running her fingers through the waves that cascaded down her back. The Masked Ball would begin soon. Everyone had been expected to wear long gowns from the 18th century. She straightened her own glittery violet and blue mask that magically floated over her face with an invisible band surrounding it. A ray of light haloed over Parvati's glossy hair as she took her wand and twisted it up into a high bun.

"Gee _thanks_, Parvati. I'm not the only one that will get the attention tonight," giggled Lavender. Her glossy peach lips formed a pout as she examined her body in the mirror. She'd actually worn a real corset tonight and though it killed her breathing, it made her body look amazingly voluptuous. She had on a beautiful red and gold dress that looked fiery and trailed down to her feet with little glitter beads randomly poking about. She readjusted a plain golden necklace that hung from her neck. It was the first gift he had purchased for her. She pressed it over her collarbone area and let out a sigh from its coolness.

"Let's hope so. Certainly, I _must_ look better than Padma tonight," joked Parvati as she ran her manicured fingers against her face of soft caramel. She smiled and turned to Lavender. "We should get going."

As soon as they left, Hermione's plan was in action.

-

Ginny Weasley could still taste the sweet and sour taste of the Polyjuice Potion that she'd consumed a good ten minutes ago. She was surprised by the fact that the potion actually tasted pleasant, which was reflected off of Luna's personality. She had a hard time getting her ensemble together especially since it was hard to get around without being looked at awkwardly.

"Luna, you look great," lied a sixth year Ravenclaw as he walked by her. Ginny bit her lip, well, more like Luna's lip anyways. Who knew that the Polyjuice Potion could be so complicated? She saw everything out of Luna's big blue eyes and most of the time; it was people laughing at her. She felt guilt stab at her heart. If only she'd known that people were this mean to Luna, she should have never called her "Loony". Since she'd transformed into the blonde beauty, she'd received a total of nine insults, eighteen glares and two snickers. And it'd only been five minutes!

To be completely honest, the outfit Ginny had on, as Luna, was rather horrid looking. It was a baby blue dress that made her upper body look overly straight compared to the rest of her body. A bit of laciness had formed above the curve of her breasts, with a slight cleavage shadow visible as well. Her legs were non-existent under the netting of the 18th century dress though glittery blue heels had added length to her overall slim body. She supposed that her only consolation was that her sparkly blue butterfly mask hid who she was and her hair was swept up in true Luna Lovegood fashion. Stray blonde strands flew out from odd angles.

She'd make sure that nobody would see her twice or else they would know that one of them were fake. Her darling plan would hopefully work. But if it didn't, then at least nobody would be able to tell that it was her – that is, unless Hermione spilled the beans.

"Look at that Loony Lovegood," snickered a fourth year Slytherin girl as she walked by in a black and green dress that made her look even more venomous than her words made her. She was on the arm of a handsome masked boy in black and white. Ginny moved back up against one of the walls. As soon as her wonder boy and his date would make it into the ballroom, her plan would then commence. The only thing she was worrying about would be the fact that people would notice_ two _girls in the same dress. Though it was highly coincidental, there were only so many stores around. The worst part was that this was _Luna's_ unique style that nobody else possessed. Even _with_ the same dress, would a girl have the same hair, the same mask and the same features?

What made Ginny feel awkward in Luna's body was the fact that Luna's body was so much more _different_ than hers. Her legs were shorter, but curvier, and her body was overall more voluptuous than Ginny's despite the fact that she'd been lacking a bit in the chest area. Luckily for her, their feet sizes remained the same so Ginny wouldn't have been tripping about all night though she had to admit that what was nerve wracking was the fact that her overall face shape changed. She felt guilty for a moment, and shook it off as she spotted her prized possession holding onto the _real_ Luna Lovegood, escorting her into the Great Hall, which was set up for the Masked Ball. She tried to listen to their conversation as they giggled and complimented each other.

"You look great tonight, Luna," smiled Harry, looking down into Luna's beautiful blue eyes that matched her dress. The real Luna hadn't noticed the fake Luna glaring at her from down the hallway. It was evident that Ginny wouldn't try anything until a good hour later.

"Thanks, and as you do," returned Luna, holding his hand a little too tightly as she looked into his eyes, framed by a single silvery blue mask. He'd have to thank Luna later for casting the charm that would let him see without his glasses. He looked even more handsome tonight in a fitted suit that made him seem more and more like James Potter, his father. He would have been proud. That night, Luna would be the envy of every girl in the room and Harry would be the envy of every boy – not because he had Luna, but because all the girls wanted him.

The two of them looked at how marvelous the Great Hall was decorated. It was no longer just an eating area with floating candles and wooden tables, but a beautifully lit room with paper lanterns that would change into different colours every few minutes. At the moment, the sky was a vivid mango orange and red, as fiery as Ginny's heart herself. The floor had been cleaned and spotless, with a few inches of mist forming against everyone's feet. It was truly a dream. The whole place was unrecognizable because there was even a little bar area that would create juices and cocktails – with no alcohol, of course. Peeves the poltergeist flew around scaring couples into each other's arms, which may have been the only downturn of the event. He vowed to scare anyone who dared smuggle alcohol into the room. Anyone who dared to do so would suffer the consequences of detention. However, they also knew that the _real_ party began _after_ the ball.

"This place is so amazing," gushed Luna, as her eyes widened at the sight of glittering orbs fly through the sky of the Great Hall. Her arm was against Harry's, and a chill of nervousness trailed down both of their spines. Nearby were familiar faces, masked, yet obviously showing who they were – Parvati was chatting with Padma while Ron was enthusiastically running his fingers all over Lavender's body as they were pressed against the wall. A couple of Slytherin grimaced as they saw this. They wouldn't openly admit that Lavender looked great tonight mainly because she was the property of Weasel.

Slow songs blasted through the trumpets of the statues of Cupid that were so delicately pressed against the walls of the Great Hall. They had single roses wrapped around their naked bodies and golden trumpets that were on their lips. At their bare feet were white curtains with gold trim that trailed down the walls of the Great Hall. A few merged shadows moaned from behind them. Couples held onto each other and tried their hardest not to trip over their feet from the white mist.

"Luna, I have a surprise for you at the end of tonight," he nodded. Her chest was pressed against his when he held her. His hands slipped around her slender waist protectively as he felt her body tense up against him. She closed her eyes and she felt the world spin around her uncontrollably. Harry's manly scent filled her nostrils.

"Thanks, Harry. Do you have a hint?" she asked, blushing as she forced a giggle past her pink lips. Her chin was rested against his strong shoulder, something she'd wanted to do for the longest time.

"Let's just say that it's something unexpected," he replied, not answering her question at all.

And oh _Merlin_, he was going to be right about that!


	17. Engravings

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your support and reviews! Hope you enjoy the chapter, guys! Sorry if my little "scenes" are too amateur. Nonetheless, I'll try to improve later on. This chapter's for all you Dramione fans!  
_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 17: ENGRAVINGS

The room was bathed in an aqua themed turquoise and violet. Hermione Granger sat by the cocktail area by herself, sipping at some muggle concoction twisted with some wizarding ingredients. It was called "Peeves' Pleaser". So far, Hermione felt nothing but boredom and occasional nausea from watching some couples. She sat rigidly on a black velvet cushioned stool and fixed the mask that covered her eyes. She supposed that the only consolation was that her mask was different from everyone else. It had been a dark wine red fabric covering her eyes in a slash, with black lace curving out slightly, as if to form a slight indentation downwards where the bridge of her nose began.

She held a little glass elegantly, stirring the light pink contents with slow rotations. She looked ahead again, tempted to say hello to at least Harry and Luna. Too bad Ginny wasn't around, or so she couldn't notice anyways. She spotted a miffed Slytherin girl, possibly Pansy Parkinson, grumble in the middle of the dance floor as Theodore Nott danced with a Ravenclaw girl.

"I can't believe he did that!" she whined to herself. She began to run her fingers down her black dress that flashed a little more cleavage than necessary. Hermione bit her glossy pink lip.

Nobody was listening, but she was staring right at Hermione and it nearly burned. Her anger could surely kill. Hermione blinked her chocolate brown eyes and touched the top of her head self-consciously. Tonight, she'd curled her hair and had it swept up in a ponytail tied together by a lacy black ribbon. Some of her curls framed her pretty face, which was mainly emotionless. She continued to stir the light pink contents about. She actually looked rather beautiful that night and perhaps the most mysterious girl at the dance. Nobody knew it was her nor would they have expected it to be her. After all, she told everyone she wasn't going. She had to owe it to Ernie Macmillan for this. _He_ inspired her to do this despite the fact that she felt bored.

A couple of boys had asked her to dance earlier. They seemed handsome enough. But they'd all looked down her dress anyways. She refused their requests quickly though she _was_ tempted to dance with one of them. But who could blame them for wanting to ask the poor girl? She was in a dark red dress that hugged her curves until they flared out at her hips. The sleeves were tight until her elbows, which had a trace of black lace surround the hem. The front of her dress had criss-crossing patterns from a silky material that formed a tiny bow. Black lace popped up from where the dress plunged down in neckline. In other words, she was as beautiful as anyone had seen her. Too bad nobody would recognize her.

The plus side was that she wasn't flashing _that_ much – certainly less than Pansy Parkinson. But everyone knew she was a hormonal hurricane _with_ a date so they hadn't even bothered. Hermione took a sip of her pink drink, feeling a sweet, yet tangy citrus taste trickle down her throat. Her glossy lips formed a pout as she stared ahead, right into the eyes of Ron Weasley, who was staring right back. She wondered if he knew it was her. And he certainly wondered who she was. But as swiftly as their eyes met, their eyes had disconnected from Lavender Brown's flirting. She placed an index finger on his collar and moved it downwards, which made Hermione's blood boil for a moment. As the two of them progressed to more kissing, Hermione felt stupid – so stupid! She'd turned down offers to dance, and those could have easily led to other things. She was masked, they would _never_ find out it was her.

"Is this seat taken?" asked a low voice all of a sudden. It was hard to hear everything from over the music. The voice sent shivers down Hermione's spine. She turned to her left, spotting a pale boy with a black hat over his glossy hair. The colour of his hair was hard to determine, but Hermione hadn't cared. At the corner of her eye, she thought she spotted Pansy Parkinson glaring at her. Hermione decided that _he_ was either her fling, or Pansy's. Surely, Pansy would have tried to get his attention.

"It is now," she responded, as seductively as possible. She managed to stare into his glistening eyes, with the shine of diamonds and the colour of silvery stone. She felt her cheeks warm up, his eyes staring into her brown ones. Her lips slightly parted – his pursed shut. His lips were so perfect, she thought. Without breaking their gaze, he stood up and offered her his hand. She stared down at it for a moment and didn't know what to do. The last thing she needed was to embarrass yet another poor boy. Was he asking her to dance? Or was he just standing there? It took her about thirty seconds to register his intentions in her mind. Ernie's words replayed in her mind. _Ugh_, she thought. If she didn't do this tonight, she'd have wasted her time wallowing.

For bloody Merlin's sake! She took his hand and avoided the furious gaze from Pansy.

-

"Luna, I didn't expect you to return so soon with our drinks," murmured Harry as he stood in an isolated corner of the room. There were only a few couple surrounding him, making out to the rhythm of the music. They honestly had to get a room, he thought, watching two students devouring each other. He usually wasn't one for watching these things – seriously, they were private anyways even if it was in a public place.

Good, she had him fooled, thought Ginny.

"Umm, there were no more drinks," she gulped, trying to sound cute with an airy voice escaping her lips. She stared right into Harry's kiwi green eyes for a moment, her own blue ones with the same amount of confusion and nervousness.

Harry looked ahead and spotted Peeves standing by the cocktail counter. She was lying.

"Peeves is still there," he retorted softly, clearly not knowing what was up this girl's sleeve. She looked so delicate right now, her soft alabaster skin, with her beautiful blue eyes saying words to him that she would not mutter through her lips. Her body was small, and her face was gazing up at him with such wonder and mystery. The weirdest part was that she exuded a bit of mystery.

"Okay, then I lied," nodded Ginny, her breath cool against Harry's chin. This was so unlike of Luna that she wondered if he'd buy her whole act. But she had to keep going. She couldn't pull out now without it being too messed up later on.

"Why?" he asked. His eyebrows knitted together under his shiny mask. Ginny thought he looked unbelievably handsome tonight. Without his glasses, he looked so amazing. The mask just added to the mystery. At that moment, she leaned into him, feeling body shudder from the close contact. She ran her fingers over his chest and she felt as if the fire from her body was being transferred into his.

"Because…" she whispered. She looked up at him and he looked down at her with an understanding. Their lips claimed each other and their eyelids drooped. Harry's arm slid around Ginny's waist, still believing that she was the real Luna. His lips were supple on her own, and she felt her body warm up. Their masks hadn't disturbed their kissing, though there was a bit of uneasiness. Ginny brushed her hand down Harry's chest, and he moaned softly in her mouth, which had only encouraged her to please him more. He drew her in more, parting his lips for…

_Shatter!_

The two of them immediately pulled away, turning around quickly. Harry's eyes widened in bewilderment and Ginny's heart sank. Why did it last no more than a minute?

"I guess this was your surprise!" cried Luna, avoiding the broken glass in front of her. Her dress was stained with the drinks she'd gotten for her and Harry. But as just shown, he was already quenching his thirst with someone else – who looked exactly the same as her! What kind of sick joke was this?

Perhaps Ginny had inherited the "scheming gene" she shared with Fred and George. Darling dear, too bad you can't blame it all on _greed_. It's not inherited, but self-taught.

-

Hermione moaned as she felt the boy's soft lips crash against her own. Their tongues had fought a nasty war, tasting of sugar and fire, however that tasted. It had been purely physical attraction. After all, he'd only said about four words to her at the dance. She recalled the memory vividly. He asked her to dance and she felt all eyes on her at that moment. They were all wondering who she was, weren't they? The whole time she'd gazed into his beautiful silver eyes that just stared back into her own. The whole time she felt like she'd faint. And the whole time, she'd been thinking of what would happen next.

It turned out that she nervously fled the dance floor and snuck into the broom cupboard with the boy. Who he even was, was beyond her thoughts. She just hoped that she wouldn't contract anything from him or get sick for that matter.

"Mm," she heard him groan for a while as he hands lingered on the area above his crotch – underneath his belt. She smiled to herself; his kisses were electric as they were planted down her neck. Goose bumps formed on her skin; she gasped and whimpered as he cupped her bottom, teasing her slowly as he rubbed at it through her dress. She'd never felt this wild before. Perhaps she'd truly learned to live and _this_ was how glorious it felt. The sweetest part was that the room was pitch black and he wouldn't be able to see who she was.

_The darkness hides things that are not meant to be discovered._

She never felt like this when she was with Ron. _This_ guy, whoever he was, made Ron seem like Diagon Alley's favourite virgin. It made _her_ feel dirty and needy, and that was saying something. She smirked to herself as he drew her closer to him, so close that she could smell his sweet smell, intoxicating, full of lust – yet somewhat familiar. She felt his fingers fiddling with the tiny bow at her chest while her own hand was up his toned torso. Even though she couldn't see him, she could feel his senses aware that she enjoyed this. Maybe this was what Lavender and Ron had longed for. Yes, Hermione had _tried_ this with Ron before, but not with this type of intensity. A blend of vanilla and indecipherable sweetness filled the room of moans and gasps.

As the atmosphere almost cooled down, the boy shoved her against the wall and crushed her against it as she traced her tongue up his jaw slowly, wondering of its effects. She nearly squealed from the pain her shoulders encountered against the cold, stone wall. She loved how she had a burning feeling in front of her, yet a cold one behind her. She nibbled at his earlobe. He had her soft, chocolate curls bunched up in his hand. She felt a bit of pain prick at the back of her mind, also knowing that she had so much to experiment on and so little time. If she lost track of time, Lavender would know that she was gone – and she wanted _nobody_ to know that Hermione Granger of Gryffindor house actually attended the ball.

He grinned as her lips met his ear. Her chest was pressed against his, and she moaned in his ear as he placed a hand over the front of her sweet spot. He could feel her hot breath touching him. But at that moment, he was focused on something else. The girl's dress was too long to be lifted all the way, though she'd felt her little fling desperately wrinkling it up. All of this was so heavenly and new to her, but so addicting. She bunched up her dress and raised it over her hips. It was too dark to really tell where he'd gone when he let go of her. But as she frantically tried to look around, she saw nothing.

"Warmth," he hissed softly. Hermione couldn't make out the voice though she suddenly felt two fingers caressing the side of her bottom. His hot breath was before her wetness and she shivered and broke into a sigh as she began to lose her balance. While pressed against the wall, she tried to grip at anything around her to keep her from falling. She broke out in a large pant while she felt kisses nip at the inside of her thighs, and a light swish of tongue against her soft, melting core that was wet and laden with black lace.

"Don't…stop," she shouted, unable to recognize her own voice. Beads of sweat formed on her back as her chest was about to burst out of her dress. She could hardly breathe. In fact, she thought she sounded like a wild animal and it nearly frightened her because she'd never felt the heat fill her veins, running through her body like poison. The only antidote was to consume more of this toxicity and she felt herself drown in pleasure even more than before when she felt the wet cloth drop from her body, letting a cool breeze flutter in between her legs.

Her mind wasn't even thinking clearly. She knew this was wrong and something serious could have happened. She couldn't stop herself as she screamed and cried out. The boy hushed her as she thought she heard him unzip his pants. Crap, she thought. She felt his thumb trace shapes along her sweet spot. Hermione bit her lip hard, tasting the salty taste of blood extracted from her teeth until her knees weakened completely and she fell against the floor. She needed to catch her breath. Her eyes were shut and her mouth hung open, with another tongue probing at her own as if to share the taste of fear and excitement. She breathed heavily in his mouth though there was comfort where she sat. The boy pressed his lips against the sleeve of his shirt to wipe his mouth as he groped around for the girl's lacy panties. He'd stuffed it in his pocket. Now, he wasn't going to do some creepy DNA testing – heck, he didn't know what this muggle stuff was anyways. And _no_, he didn't have a fetish for underwear. But this girl, well, she seemed so raw and innocent and not like the other girls he'd been with previously.

Hermione groaned, trying to recover until she felt the boy's face against hers again. His eyelashes were blinking against her soft cheek, which had a lingering scent of vanilla. She sighed as she ran her fingers through his silky hair. He must have been beautiful – but she didn't have the guts to find out who he was, and she didn't have the guts to _show_ him who she was. Who would've known that Hermione the bookworm was actually another dirty girl?

When she'd finally recovered a bit, she felt his soft hands against her face. These were different from Ron's – _ugh_, why was she thinking about Ron at a time like this? He was probably on top of Lavender right this second! Had she done this out of real feelings, it would have been more meaningful. Never had she been touched or kissed like that and never had she been so open to letting a complete stranger do that to her. She smiled as she felt a light kiss on her forehead. Was she regretting this already? Two hands began to fall over her eyes, removing the mask that she'd carefully charmed on. The hands were soft, so soft. He moved closer towards her and felt a certain hardness nearby.

_And that's when she ran out._

The bookworm left the venomous snake to fend for himself, baffled by her reaction.

Into an empty hallway, Hermione Granger disappeared. She panicked as she was unmasked. Luckily, nobody was around. She fiddled with her dress to make sure that parts of her remained hidden. Most people were still at the dance or had gone back to their dorms for further partying. She decided that this would be her dirty little secret. Not even Ginny or Harry would know and certainly not Ron! A smile began to be plastered across her face even though she'd been just a couple inches from losing her virginity. This was the day that Hermione would kiss and _not_ tell, and the day that she would certainly look back with – whether it be filled with regrets or not.

She was so daring – even if the boy _had_ her mask and her panties, what could he do with them? Tons of girls had brown hair at Hogwarts and it wasn't as if he'd walk up to every one of them and ask if the panties and mask belonged to her.

He'd be slapped faster than he was able to pleasure others.


	18. Wounds

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your support and reviews!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 18: WOUNDS

Hermione Granger rolled about in her bed lazily underneath the warmth of her comforter. Her bed sheets were wrinkled around her bruised body. Her back _hurt_. Her lips felt cold as she brushed her fingers over the spot that her midnight fling had kissed. She tried to smile but her body was too tired to respond to what her brain told her to do. She hid the angry red marks on her neck as she wrapped a big gray sweater around her body. Last night had been absolutely amazing that she'd even shocked herself. Rolling out of her warm cocoon, her feet met with the cold floor. She shivered from its touch, sending goose bumps up her body. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around the room, finding it peaceful and loitered with masks and parts of clothes. Her roommates Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were asleep on their beds, still in their dresses. They looked like messes. Hermione smirked; but it wasn't as if _she_ wasn't almost a mess last night.

The sunlight streamed through her dormitory window and her cool breath met with the glass. The morning was a little chilly, she decided. She closed her eyes as she planted her bottom onto her bed with a single bounce. _Those_ eyes were staring right back at her, those silvery gray eyes that bored into her soul. They were so familiar and his electric touches made her spark and lose control of herself. She sighed, examining the ends of her unkempt wavy hair. She'd drifted off into a deep sleep the night before, after showering and hearing a couple of students cheer and drink. She wouldn't take part in that for she had enough excitement for one night.

"_Ron_, don't stop…" murmured Lavender in her sleep. Hermione bit her lip. What was up with this girl? She already _had_ him physically wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted and she was still dreaming of dirty ideas? She watched Lavender roll around with a pink stain smudge off of her lips and onto her cheek. She groaned from the sunlight as she rolled over.

Hermione stared right back at her while she hugged herself. She'd wait for the poor girl to open her eyes before they could perhaps exchange a few words. _Or not_, thought Hermione. Fat chance, as if Lavender would want to talk to her. She examined Lavender's outfit some more – her voluptuousness was totally fake. Rolling her eyes, Hermione stepped over to her bed and tried to rummage through her suitcases. She wasn't fully unpacked and was actually in the mood to do something devilish today. Smirking to herself, she brought out a dark red scoop-neck long sleeve that hugged her curves in a similar way that her dress had. As for last night's dress, she'd hidden it in a secret place that nobody would dare look. She grimaced as she stared in the mirror and spotted those marks on her neck, trailing down to her collarbone. As long as she could utter a simple spell, it would remain hidden. As she finished changing into her kilt and stockings, she stared into the mirror. _Much_ better, she thought. Somehow after last night, she was unable to stare at herself the same way. Whether or not this was a positive or negative change, she hadn't seen its effects yet. Placing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she put her robes on right over her red sweater. Stupid uniform, she thought. It made her warm up so quickly.

Shaking that awkward feeling off, she thought she heard a voice behind her. She turned around, with her eyebrows knitted together. Lavender Brown was staring right back at her with the same expression plastered over her tired face.

"Hello Hermione," she said uneasily. She nodded her head as she ran her fingers through her glossy hair that had lost a bit of its sheen after last night. "You look nice today."

Was she implying that she _hadn't_ looked nice before?

"Thanks Lavender, so do you," she nodded, trying to make herself sound as natural as possible. Their awkwardness in their conversation was evident but at least they were making progress.

"Look, I'm _really_ sorry for that whole bathroom incident," she blushed, looking down for a moment as she pulled herself in a seated position on her bed, wrinkling the fabric of her dress. She was hardly thinking straight but she knew what had to be said if they wanted to preserve their acquaintanceship.

"It's fine, Lavender. I'm pretty much over it," shrugged Hermione, not knowing what was really escaping her lips. Lavender's eyes widened with curiosity as she scanned Hermione's faces for traces of lies. But she'd gone full out with what she said and she couldn't take those words back now even if she hadn't meant it.

"You're not just saying that, right?" squeaked Lavender, still shocked. She brushed some of her hair over her shoulder and continued to gaze at Hermione. She certainly looked different. Maybe she actually let go. "I mean, it'd only be a few days…I know Ron and I have progressed really quickly and –"

"It's fine, Lavender. There's no need to explain. If you want answers, then I'll let you know that you can kiss him as much as you want in public. You can do anything to him that doesn't make the general public nauseous," she giggled as she cut her off, her laugh was quite cold. She didn't know what had gotten into her at that moment, but she knew that some _big_ things were about to happen.

"Thanks," beamed Lavender, looking up at Hermione with an angelic peacefulness. Still, she wasn't forgiven, thought Hermione. She obviously still thought badly of Lavender. But with Ron, well, anything could have happened between them and since there was no way he'd return to Hermione, she may as well have let him go. Besides, there was mystery lingering in the air.

And_ mystery_ trumped over inevitability every time.

-

"Wow Ginny, how come everyone seems so down today?" whispered Hermione as she bit into her buttered bun. She thought she felt eyes on her when she entered the room – a certain silvery pair. Shaking that feeling off, she must have just felt self-conscious. She looked around at the table, noticing her best friend Harry prod at his cereal, Luna seated all alone at the Ravenclaw table, Ron looking zoned out, and Lavender's eyes clouded with worry.

"They were probably out all night," replied Ginny, with a jittery charm to her voice. She placed a lock of her red hair over her ear. After last night, she'd been so embarrassed because she watched Luna bawl her way out of the Great Hall while Harry gave her the most despicable frown. It had been so heartbreaking though she obviously enjoyed the kiss. She knew _he_ did as well; that is, until he found out the truth. Nobody knew it was _Ginny_ as Luna. In fact, people were still trying to find out who pretended to _be_ Luna.

"Are you alright, Gin? You seem out of it too…unless it's just me," she shrugged, downing the rest of her tea. Warmth filled her body as she finished up. Ginny watched her friend place her mug back down against the table.

"Look, we were all pretty crazy last night, 'Mione. Just because you didn't go…" frowned Ron. His voice trailed off as he shot her a furtive glance. She rolled her eyes. Honestly, what was up with these people? She looked over at Harry for an explanation, and he opened his mouth and tried to meet Luna's gaze from the other table. He turned back to Hermione, his green eyes deeply saddened.

"Someone pretended to be Luna last night. She kissed me right in front of the real Luna and she left crying her eyes out. Luna won't even talk to me now," he frowned. He was in no mood to eat and all he wanted to do was find out who did this. This person ruined his chances with her and probably even ruined their friendship.

Hermione bit her lip as she kicked Ginny from under the table. It was so obvious that it was her but there was no way she was going to admit to that, would she? Ginny's face reddened as Harry's anger reached up to his piercing green eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear," was all Hermione could say. At the corner of her eye, she spotted Lavender staring at her weirdly, as if examining her every move and reporting it back to Ron.

"It's not your fault, but thanks," sighed Harry, bringing his forehead to his hand. His elbows were on the table. He was rarely depressed and Hermione couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt. It was _her_ that nabbed the potion in the first place. She felt a kick return from Ginny under the table. Quickly, Hermione whipped her head around and her eyes widened at the redhead.

She'd surely demand an explanation, thought Ginny.

-

"Ginny!" whined Hermione Granger, as the two girls walked around the school grounds. She felt a warm breeze touch her face as she hugged herself. A few Hufflepuff boys walked about as they took sips of their disguised bottles of Butterbeer. They smirked as they looked her way. She blushed and turned back to Ginny. "You should have told me about you and Harry! What are _you_ going to do?"

"What am _I_ going to do? You were a part of it too," she retorted, biting her lip nervously.

"Hey, I didn't know how crazy it'd get. You wouldn't even tell me what it was for. I even warned you," sighed Hermione, rubbing her temples as she leaned against a tree – that same tree she'd hidden behind with Draco Malfoy. She shook the thought of him out of her head. She continued with Ginny, "Look, you saw the note, right?"

"Yeah…" confessed Ginny sheepishly.

"So are you going to tell Harry or what?" queried Hermione bluntly. She placed a loose wave over her shoulder.

"Not yet…" she replied, with the same sheepish tone of voice. "Besides, you promised to keep it a secret! You're bound and you can't tell anyone!"

She was right – that redhead was right…whether keeping it wrapped up was secret or not.

"Fine," frowned Hermione. "But I must tell you that it's not the right thing to do – to keep it a secret."


	19. Mistakes

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your support and reviews!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 19: MISTAKES

Draco Malfoy lay on his back as he stared up at the ceiling of his dorm. He left the Great Hall early, his mind on last night. Her lips had been so soft, but as if he'd ever thought about that before. All he really wanted was a good shag that night. He hadn't gotten it, which made him wonder who this girl even was. It was embarrassing because there was no girl at Hogwarts that _wouldn't_ shag him. He looked positively delicious, luscious and incredibly handsome.

He closed his eyes momentarily, almost being able to smell the aroma of vanilla fill his nostrils when he kissed the girl. He remembered her curls, her touch, and the heat that flowed through him when she kissed him. She was clumsy sometimes and teasing, which he liked. This meant that he could dominate because he had more experience. This meant that he could let his toned body fall over her soft body. This meant that he would make her scream his name until she lost her voice. This meant that –

Wait, did he…_want_ her? Perhaps, but this was how the mind worked. If you couldn't have something, you'd want it. This feeling was rather dreadful, yet sent a million volts through his body at the same time. No, he couldn't have wanted her. He was just humiliated, that was it.

"Draco, the longer you hole yourself up, the longer it's going to eat you alive," commented Theodore Nott, watching him from his bed as he finished the last of his Sugar Quill. He ran his arms through his hair. He'd changed a lot over the summer, and the girls, as well as the boys began to take notice. He was no longer the wiry stick, but now had a toned yet svelte figure. It may not have been much improvement, but it had its own appeals. He ran his finger over his flat stomach and sighed.

"Are you expecting me to tell you what it is?" asked Draco, crossing his legs over as he saw the image of the girl's brown eyes staring right back at him from last night. He was determined to find out who she was. He tried to shake her gaze right out of his head, making him look crazy for a moment.

"I was hoping you would," he replied flatly. His eyebrows arched. "A girl refused to get into a threesome or something?"

"_Funny_, Theo," frowned Draco. He pretended to laugh. "It's even funnier because Pansy was over the roof when you left her last night. Good times."

Theodore then rolled over on his side, in his black robes. The Slytherin crest on his chest was hidden as he stared at Draco with furrowed eyebrows. Why did he have to be so heartless? Theodore was one with the manners in their room anyways. Draco was the pompous boy and Blaise was the haughty one who only lived to drink, party and shag. At least Draco and Theodore had goals. Blaise _did_ have some goals – but he hardly had any incentive to achieve them as he'd effortlessly whizzed through classes.

"You shouldn't be so mean."

"But Theo, it's true. She deserves it."

"Just because you dumped her…"

"She was whining and selfish and didn't even love me!"

"Did you love her at all though, Draco? Have you ever thought about that?"

"You're just too much of a gentleman on the outside. But I know deep inside, you're a total wanker."

Theodore let out a light guffaw of laughter, lightening up the atmosphere. Draco was right. Despite that, he still wanted to know what was eating him up. He _knew_ something was eating him up because he wasn't acting like himself. He confided in Draco the most anyways though sometimes there was absolutely nothing to say. He was usually fine with life and perhaps that was what made him different from his Slytherin counterparts. Draco confided in him as well, but sometimes felt that Blaise was the better person to go to. But with _this_ incident? It was too humiliating to tell Blaise that a girl refused a good shag.

"A girl wouldn't shag me last night," he replied honestly. He frowned, expecting Theodore to say something but he hadn't. Silence had struck him. Actually, in Draco's mind, his words seemed more innocent. But as soon as it passed through his lips, he sounded selfish and almost like a little boy who was whining over another cookie.

"I wonder why, Draco. You must have been so intimidating in that mask of yours. Not even Pansy had the guts to approach you," shrugged Theodore. He tried not to make Pansy look bad but it just naturally fell off his lips.

"Ha! As if you would have noticed. You were with that Ravenclaw girl all night long. Besides, Pansy would have been publicly humiliated anyways. I hope she knows what's good for her anyways," he retorted icily.

"I _did_ notice because she was my date and she's a friend," he replied, throwing in the "friend card". If everyone based their friendship on these silly guidelines, nobody would _have_ friends. It was simple as that. Some of them had benefits, some didn't. Some were just a good shag. Some were just good to look at. And some? Some were just _there_, tagging along like a bunch of brainless cronies.

"Sure," shrugged Draco. He wasn't going to live with Theodore's preaching. He decided to zone out at that moment.

"You should just tell me the full story so we can move on with this," sighed Theodore. He was growing slightly impatient and it was recognizable in his voice. Whenever he was impatient, his voice would grow lower and throatier. It'd been a little more seductive when he was impatient, but there was no way that anyone would say that out in the open. Talk about awkwardness.

-

"Miss Granger, I would like to have a word with you," said the gloomy looking man as he found Hermione in a corner beside Harry and Ron. Despicable, he hadn't even _requested_ a word, but actually demanded it. She'd been fine until now. She and her "friends" had been chatting about homework; though it may as well have been a conversation between Harry and Hermione. Ron wasn't exactly saying anything, which was fine by Hermione because she wasn't exactly to say anything to him either. The three of them were sitting on a bench in the hall while students walked around in the halls in giggles and gossiping states.

Hermione looked up at the black haired man – his greasy hair was up to his chin and hid most of his forehead. His eyebrows were furrowed, in a permanently angry look. His nose was slightly hooked and his pale lips were pursed shut, as if he hadn't kissed anyone in years. What a miserable man, thought Hermione. She had no sympathy for the likes of him. As she stood up, students around them wondered what he must have wanted with her. She followed him down the hall, feeling Harry and Ron stare at her from behind, wondering what was going on. The man was in black robes that matched his black eyes. How morbid.

He was about as excited to see her as she was to see him. Typical.

"Sorry to intrude, professor. But what would you like to see me for?" she asked him rather sourly. There was plainly no point in her continuing to follow him if he was going to make her suffer in silence. Her brown eyes met his black ones in a bit of discomfort. He was cold and distant. No wonder he was alone. He deserved it.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Miss Granger?" he deadpanned in a threatening tone of voice. Hermione placed her hand in her pocket, fiddling with her wand as she and Professor Snape still had their backs turned to Harry and Ron who were listening intently on the conversation. "Miss Granger, you've earned detention for sneaking into my cupboard. Stealing such a potion is prohibited, and so is snooping around. Everyday after school – excluding weekends until I feel that you deserve to be free."

Her jaw dropped at this. The way he said "free" was the same tone of voice Draco Malfoy said "mudblood". It had been said with a dark sneer. Why was she even thinking about him? But seriously! Everyday after school! Those words sliced her like a hot knife through butter. She felt anger flow through her veins. She was tempted to smack him on the spot but she knew she wouldn't win the fight. She wouldn't even be praised for having guts because she wouldn't be "brave", she'd be downright stupid!

"B-but," she stuttered, trying to keep her cool as she bit her pink lip. It hurt and she forgot for a moment that it bled last night when she tried to suppress her moans. She hated this. How did he know so quickly? Was there a secret network of spies?

"No buts, Miss Granger. I forgot to mention – twenty points docked from Gryffindor. If you don't want more points off, you'll start tomorrow in the dungeons," he said icily, fixing a steely gaze upon her. Her eyebrows were still furrowed together as she felt a lump in her throat. It hard hardly been a week and she already had detention. Did he have it in for her or what? She watched him with a glare as he turned around and walked off with a light shuffling noise. "And Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, I suggest you keep your ears to yourself next time. You never know when you could have them hexed off."

Ron and Harry were baffled by Professor Snape's ability to sense them but even more baffled that Hermione had done such a thing so sneakily.

"I'd like to hex _you_," murmured Hermione right under her breath. She thought she spotted Snape turning around ever so slightly so she shut her lips and wore a pained expression on her face. She wasn't going to risk getting more detention. It'd been bad enough. This year was going to be full of homework and if she had to stay behind at detention, she was likely not going to be able to finish anything without resources such as the textbooks in the library. The library was her haven and now she was going to miss it.

"Hermione…" murmured Harry. He was at a loss for words. He wanted to ask her if this was what she was doing with his Invisibility Cloak all the time. Harry and Ron both recalled how the professor had spoken to him, he had said "such potion" though the two of them knew exactly which type he was talking about – the Polyjuice Potion.

Hermione turned around to Harry and Ron with sorry eyes. Her face was very red from her encounter with the man. Not because she liked him, in fact, she detested him. But Hermione couldn't help but think of her friends. What were they going to think of her? A million questions would now fill her up to the brim and they'd both expect them to be answered. She'd have to talk to Ginny about this as soon as possible.

_What had she gotten herself into?_


	20. Alignments

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Please note that I've changed the Astronomy class days from Wednesday to Tuesday! And for the record, the school year taking place for Harry and company is the sixth year. I'm aware that during this time, there's a bunch of other stuff going on. I'm pretty sure there are a few more errors here and there. Sorry about that! Nonetheless, thanks again for tuning in and commenting! I cannot thank each and every one of you enough._

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 20: ALIGNMENTS

"Geez, Granger. I didn't know you were such a bad girl," sneered Draco Malfoy sinisterly. He took a seat in the Astronomy Tower in front of her. It was late and Hermione's eyelids began to droop as she labeled each constellation. Tuesday nights were for Astronomy classes – contrary to its previous years to hold them on Wednesday nights.

"What _are_ you talking about, you ferret?" frowned Hermione coldly. A couple of fifth years began to squander off while a few first years stayed behind to ask Professor Sinistra a couple of questions. She was grumbling and unhappy. It was almost 1:00 and she wanted to finish her work and just go to bed.

"Detention with Snape? He must _really_ love you," he smirked. He was already finished his work. Though under normal circumstances he wouldn't have bothered with the nasty little mudblood, tonight he didn't have better things to do. Blaise told him and Theodore to stay out until at least 2:00 so that's what they did. He must have had like, five girls hanging off of him at the moment. Hmph, at least Theodore could sneak into that pesky Ravenclaw's dorm room.

"Sure Malfoy, when the stars align," she returned sarcastically. She continued to mark things on her sheets, feeling her cheeks blush in the night as a cool breeze fluttered through the tower. Draco thought he smelled a whiff of her hair – vanilla. How many girls in the school smelled like that? Probably dozens, he decided. He ignored her remark and looked down at her sheet. Everything had been so neatly marked in cursive, with lines and curves all connecting. Professor Sinistra would have been proud; though there was no way Draco would say _that_.

"I think you labeled that wrong," he muttered under his breath. He felt a bit of sympathy for the Granger girl. After all, she'd gotten detention for stealing the Polyjuice Potion and who knew how long she'd be there for? Though that was totally against the rules, he thought that she'd lose her friends over that. Besides, he heard about the whole Luna Lovegood accident with St. Potty Pothead.

_Pah_, he shouldn't have felt like that. Merlin, she was a mudblood and therefore didn't deserve his pity!

"Where?" she asked him, slightly concerned for a moment though this could have easily been a trap. It was quiet enough that she could have easily heard the slightest noise. She looked up and her tired brown eyes met his steely ones. His eyebrows were knit together as his gaze lingered down to her lips. Something was off, he thought. He then noticed Hermione's lips open. "Malfoy, _where_ is the mistake?"

"Right, umm…_that's_ Castor and _that _one is Pollux," he replied, pointing at her detailed drawing. He shook off his weird thoughts. He was probably tired. It was 1:00 anyways and he must have been thinking crazy things.

"Oh really? How do you know?" she asked him flatly. Couldn't she be at least _thankful_ that he bothered to stoop down so low to sit with her until 2:00? He frowned as his face seemed to harden up. Hermione was still staring at him. His tousled blonde hair looked good tonight, she thought. Even _for_ a Malfoy.

"Malfoy Manor – I _read_ too. I'm not a _total_ git though I may be a devilishly handsome one, if I may add. Anyways, if you don't believe me then don't take my suggestion. See if I care," he retorted. He was about to break out and call her "mudblood" and all sorts of names but he'd refrain himself. As long as he could shut her up, it'd be good enough for him – because she was so much prettier with her mouth shut, he thought. _Wait_, was he _thinking_ that? Whatever, like he was thinking, it was 1:00 and his mind wasn't thinking straight. He wasn't going to be desperate just because he was rejected a shag last night.

"Sorry," murmured Hermione. He face softened up as she felt twin blushes appear on her face.

"Whatever," he shrugged.

"Thanks, Malfoy," she said halfheartedly. She continued with her drawing while feeling those _eyes_ on her again; those eyes that belonged to the boy that kissed and touched her in such a way she never experienced before. She felt like melting right now and just breaking into a dream. But not _here_, not in front of Malfoy. If he found out, he'd be laughing all the way to Pluto because "nobody would ever want to touch a filthy mudblood anyways". _Please_, she thought. She should have just stopped thinking about last night's awkward encounter. As long as she'd shake off the feeling, her little fling would never find out it was her.

-

"Hey Draco, you still awake?" asked Theodore Nott rather grouchily. It was 3:00 and all Draco had done in the past hour or so was roll around in his bed. It was true, Draco was still asleep and he couldn't get to bed because the face of the beautiful masked girl was in his head. He always wanted the girl that could resist him – not like that boring Pansy Parkinson. In fact, he decided that if he found out who she was, he'd be able to get over her if she finally fell for him. _Then_ he'd be rid of that spell.

"Yeah Theo, I can't get to sleep," sighed Draco, toying with the girl's mask in his hands. He kept unrolling it and rolling it up in all of its silk and lace.

"Still thinking about _her_, huh?" he queried. Blaise was already sound asleep with a girl beside him. They'd been at it for hours and it'd certainly worn him out at least a bit. Sometimes Draco wished that a shag like that could make him relax.

"Mhm, still trying to figure out who she is," he replied softly.

"Don't worry about it, Draco. You should just let it go. There are tons of other girls willing to line up. For the girl that wouldn't shag you? Give her a rain check," snickered Theodore. Draco smiled in the dark. Good ol' Theo, he always knew just what to say.

"Thanks," he grinned, only realizing shortly that if he didn't know who the girl was…how could she get a rain check? What horrible humour, he thought.

-

Draco Malfoy sauntered through the school corridors and into the Great Hall where his drooping eyelids prevented him from being able to think straight. He hardly slept last night because he was thinking about the curly haired brunette. Of course, he'd fallen asleep shortly and dreamt of the most vivid dream replay in his mind that night in the broom cupboard. He recalled it with a licking of his lips. Her scent, her touch, her gaze on the dance floor – it was surely haunting him.

"Good morning, Draco," smiled Theodore Nott good-naturedly. Blaise Zabini gave him a dismissive wave as if he was too busy chatting with Daphne Greengrass next to him. They probably weren't. For all Draco knew, she was probably putting her hands to good work under the table. He smirked.

"Hey Theo," he said, taking a seat beside him and avoiding Pansy's gaze. She could tell that something was eating him and if she got enough clues, _she'd_ be the one literally eating him the next morning in bed.

"Draco, did you have a rough night last night?" asked Pansy. Her dark, worried eyes were wandering in his direction, as if she could sniff out his feelings and broadcast it to the table. Daphne smirked at Blaise as the two of them nudged each other.

"Yes, Pansy…I had an amazing shag last night," he replied flatly. It was a complete lie and everyone knew it – except for Pansy. She always took his words seriously and that was why she was so critical of herself. Her black hair fell into her face as she stared down at her empty plate.

"Who was it with?" queried Daphne, in a mocking tone of voice. She was sick of Pansy's whimpering. What a total Gryffindor, she thought. Her eyes flickered over into Draco's direction, finding her eyes staring into two murky, gray orbs.

"Who _wasn't_ it with, is the question," muttered Blaise.

"Of course," replied Daphne icily.

"Sure," interjected Draco. He didn't know why he'd said that, but afterwards, the table was quiet so his plan had certainly worked. Throughout the rest of breakfast, he had avoided Pansy's gaze. Good thing she remained quiet. Yes, she'd been less annoying but still the same pathetic, whimpering girl deep down inside. He wondered if she spent her nights crying into her pillow and wetting it like the wretched soul she was. As if he cared. Served her right if she did!

-

"Ernie, please pass me the sopohorous beans," said Hermione softly as she sat beside her Potions classmate. Ernie did as told and passed her the dagger while doing so. He watched her clumsily crush the beans while her mind was clearly on something else. She was tired, missed breakfast and wasn't in the best mood for a chat. Hormones, decided Ernie, shaking his head knowingly.

The students were to make the Draught of Living Death, which was a potion that would cause someone to fall into a deep sleep. Hermione actually _wanted_ to take it but knew she couldn't. Well, she could have easily used the Time Turner and go back in time for a nap but found it too tedious. She couldn't rely on that forever. Her usual soft wavy hair had been frizzy today – the first time in a year or so that she had it this untamed. It was much like her first year again, only she felt ten times worse at the moment.

"Hermione, I can help. We're _partners_, you know," he said impatiently.

Hermione muttered something under her breath. She hated the way he said "partners" as if he was some sort of genius. Of _course_, she knew that they were partners. It was just that she would've worked more efficiently without Ernie. Yes, he was smart and hardworking but she didn't feel like working with him. The faster she could get this over with, the faster she could rest. Her body wouldn't give in now – it couldn't. Except every time she looked at the bowl, her eyes seemed to swirl and cause her to see double images.

"Hermione, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just let me get more beans."

She impatiently shot Ernie a dirty glance. The world was spinning around her when she stood up to walk to the front of the classroom. Catching her breath in her throat, feeling as if she was choking in the air, something weird happened when she took the first steps. Everything went black from there.

"Hermione!"


	21. Marks

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your support and reviews! I apologize for the shortness of the chapters! Also, I may not be able to update as frequently in the next few weeks or so – therefore, updates may occur between two to three days instead of once a day._

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 21: MARKS

Hermione opened her eyes as she stared up at the ceiling. Where was she? She felt so horrible. The back of her throat tasted bitter and sour at the same time and her mouth felt so dry. Her head throbbed and her body ached more than ever. She felt as if she'd just been pushed down the stairs at Hogwarts and crushed her head. Why was she even here? The last thing she remembered was being annoyed at Ernie Macmillan at Potions. She grumbled.

As she rolled on her side to look around, she realized that she was in the school infirmary. Her head was sunk into a pillow and she blinked twice before she continued to gaze around. She recognized its beds, white sheets and privacy screens. Her sides hurt and she felt like she would vomit any moment. She clutched her stomach as she closed her eyes, rolling back onto her back and sighing with every rise and fall of her chest.

"Took you long enough to wake up, Granger," muttered a low voice. It was menacing and icy, just like a certain Malfoy's. Hermione turned to her other side with great pain and spotted the blonde boy with his arms folded across his chest and looking down at her with a cold stare. Why _wasn't_ she surprised that that voice belonged to him? Hmm, maybe because Draco Malfoy would be the last person to ever come visit her. She felt her blood freeze. Seriously, what was _he_ doing here? He was propped smugly on his chair, with an air of annoyance and impatience surrounding him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she huffed, licking her lips to moisten its dryness.

"Now, now, mudblood – is that anyway to thank your saviour?" he asked.

"What happened?" she demanded loudly.

"Your _welcome_," he frowned. His tone of voice softened up afterwards. For all he knew, she could've ended up screaming for Madam Pomfrey. He didn't want that. "Anyways, you were pissed at Macmillan and going crazy, like you were on some crazy muggle drug. You stumbled over in Potions and Slughorn demanded me to take you here."

Hermione couldn't help but smile. _Malfoy_ had actually taken _her_ to the infirmary?

"I was just tired, that's all," she sighed. "I hope I didn't do anything embarrassing. How long have I been out?"

Draco frowned. Did the girl have manners? It was embarrassing because _he_ had to drag her all the way to Madam Pomfrey's. But he stayed silent, staring down at her angelic face. Colour was returning to her cheeks and lips. His eyes lingered over them for a moment, realizing a bit of familiarity. His eyes wandered down her neck, noticing a trail of redness. What could that have been? Pfft, as if he cared about the affairs of a muggle. She was probably so prude that her clothes made her itch all over the parts of her body she didn't want people to look at.

"You've been out for forty minutes," he replied sourly. Hermione nodded as she tried to sit up, while coughing. Her body hurt so much and it seemed as if she had no muscle. Her face paled again as her lips dried. Losing her balance and nearly toppling over, she fell into the rescuing arms of Draco Malfoy. "Careful, mudblood. You wouldn't want to get your vomit all over me. I just washed these robes, you know."

It was a lie. He hadn't washed his robes. But he couldn't help but feel this connection to the girl. What was up with him? Was he going to go around freeing elves from their owners soon? He relaxed as he felt the girl's body shift against him, soft and weak, he decided. He'd never seen her so vulnerable in his life. While he could have placed her back on her bed, he didn't. He still held her so closely that he could smell vanilla from her hair. He still held her so closely that he began to feel numb. He still held her so closely that he could count the number of freckles on her face that were scattered across her nose – just a few; she wasn't a freckle face or anything of the sort. Most importantly, _he_ had held _her_ and _she_ could smell the sweetness that lingered in the air that was coming from _him_.

_Awkward_.

"Ahem," muttered a voice nearby. Draco looked up and flushed as he saw Madam Pomfrey staring at their misunderstood intimate moment. Her eyes were wide with confusion. Why would someone like him be holding her in the first place? She placed a strand of gray and brown speckled hair behind an ear and briskly walked up to Hermione to help her back in bed.

"Thanks," she muttered, acknowledging the woman as kindly as she could.

"How are you feeling, dear?" asked Madam Pomfrey in a caring tone of voice. She took a seat beside Hermione while she eased her back into her original position – lying down flat on her back. Hermione sighed.

"To be completely honest, I'm still feeling horrible," she replied.

"Well, you've taken your medicine and you shouldn't be sitting up. The medicine makes your body feel weak anyways. Just lie down and rest so it can do its work," said the nurse. Her eyebrows were knitted together with age and worry over sick and injured students. It was a wonder that she hadn't broken down during all these years.

"How long will I be in here?" she asked her in a whimper. Draco bit his lip. It was as if he wasn't even here. He should've been long gone. This was none of his business. Yet somehow, he was compelled to stay because something unbelievably _bizarre_ was up with the Granger girl.

"At least until tonight," replied Madam Pomfrey with a sigh erupting from the back of her throat. She knew that Hermione would demand to leave the infirmary to catch up on studies so she held onto her arm with quite force. The coldness from her clammy hands left Hermione with goose bumps. She watched as Madam Pomfrey turned to Draco. "And you, Mr. Malfoy, should collect her homework from the teachers you share."

Damn it, she used the freaking Time Turner. This meant that he'd be running around all day getting homework for the clumsy mudblood! His eyebrows furrowed and he nodded with pursed lips while feeling a blush creeping into his cheeks from the way two brown orbs were staring at him.

"Very well then," nodded the nurse. She turned to Hermione with a softer tone of voice. "When you're feeling better, come see me so we can treat those nasty red marks."

She stood up and walked away, leaving Draco and Hermione alone together. Hermione's eyes widened at the thought of those red marks again. And just when she'd been feeling a little bit better, she was drowning again. She stared around briefly. The rest of the infirmary had been empty. Hermione turned to Draco and tried to grin at him for his generosity and kindness. She still hated him and thought he was a git, but who knew there was a _nice_ side from this dark boy?

"Thanks," she mumbled, closing her eyes. Her lips parted once more. "I should actually tell you which teachers you should visit…"

Yeah, just ramble on and fall asleep, thought Draco. He smirked and thought of a perfect idea for revenge. Yep, it would earn her even _more_ days of detention with Professor Snape. Too bad Hermione wouldn't see _that_ coming.

-

"Hey Draco, where are you headed off to?" asked Blaise Zabini. He ran after his friend as soon as class had ended. Draco hadn't said goodbye but was busy grumbling off. Why did _he_ have to collect Granger's homework? Why couldn't she just get Potty or Weasel to go?

"Have to go see some professors. Don't save me a spot at lunch," replied Draco snappily. He hadn't meant to sound rude but he had a feeling that collecting her homework would take more than lunch. Besides, his plan was to feast on some candies and take a breather in his dorm. He wasn't in the mood to see Pansy mope about, not that he cared or anything.

"Good day to you too," mumbled Blaise, walking off in the opposite direction.

-

"So where's Hermione?" asked Harry curiously, as he chewed his meat. He actually wanted to talk to her about the whole Polyjuice Potion incident but he probably should have cut her some slack if she was hiding away.

"She's in the infirmary," replied Lavender coolly.

"_What_?" spat Ginny, in the most unladylike fashion. Luckily nothing was in her mouth, but she was still shocked. "What happened?"

"Basically she got into a row with Ernie Macmillan. I don't think that's what made her fall though. She was acting strange and when she got up she stumbled, fell, and Malfoy took her to Madam Pomfrey's," the brunette replied, picking at an invisible piece of lint on her robes.

"She probably stayed up too late last night from Astronomy," sighed Neville, shaking his head. Neville hadn't talked much to this specific group of friends lately. But when someone was hospitalized, worry would take over him.

"So this is going to happen _every_ week?" queried Parvati Patil, her eyebrows furrowing together. Her caramel skin radiantly shone under the candles that lit up the sky of the Great Hall. Dean Thomas smirked at her.

"If detention permits, then yes," replied Ron. He wasn't sure of her detention schedule but it would have been cruel even for Professor Snape to leave her in the dungeons until midnight. Certainly Ron would miss her.

"She has detention? The little angel has detention? It hasn't even been a week into the school year yet!" exclaimed Parvati. Ginny shot her a dirty look, making Parvati sit up straighter in her seat.

"What was it for?" asked Lavender softly, snuggling against Ron after finishing her pumpkin juice.

"Let's not forget that we've all had detention before," warned Harry, shooting Parvati a sneaky glance. A bit of guilt clouded over her proud face. He then turned to everyone else to answer Lavender's question. "Besides, we don't know if it's ours to div –"

"She got it for stealing the Polyjuice Potion from Snape," interjected Ron, a little louder than he should have. Harry's eyes widened at Ron. He shouldn't have been so loud about it. But the lot of them already knew so there was no point in saying anything now. All Ginny did was kick Ron from under the table for his lack of smarts. The group around them was shocked.

"Right," nodded Lavender slowly, whispering something in Parvati's ear as she pulled away from Ron. A nervous redhead girl was biting her lip in the background of their conversation.


	22. Regrets

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 22: REGRETS

"Miss Granger, there's a visitor," nodded Madam Pomfrey, staring at the bored, tired girl that lay in her bed in the most trance-like state. Her wavy hair was fanned around her white pillow and her eyelids were drooping. She was about to fall asleep too. Besides, evening had hit Hogwarts. As she turned her head over, she blinked as she spotted Draco Malfoy returning with packages and parchment sheets in his hands.

"Malfoy," said Hermione flatly. She was in no mood to see him or anyone else. She was annoyed that none of her friends came to visit today. The day had been awfully lonely besides the meals that she was supplied. As if they were enough to fuel her ticking brain.

"Granger," he muttered, as if he was talking about scum. To him, she _was_ scum, so really, it made no difference. He looked different from earlier. He looked miserable and tired, but still wore his usual smug look on his face which was only possible because he told Professor Snape that Hermione was in the infirmary. He was rather outraged at this and hadn't bothered to ask of her condition. Everyone knew that this anger was just an excuse to throw more trouble in her way. After all, Slytherin and Gryffindor were the enemy houses.

"Is that my homework?" she queried, her brown eyes opening more. Madam Pomfrey remained behind and continued to stand there as if there was something she tried to eavesdrop on. Her eyes flickered upon her for a moment, and then returned to Malfoy's silvery gray ones that seemed to be burning a hole inside her body.

"Yep, you should lay off the extra classes, Granger," he said in his harshest tone of voice as he dropped all her work onto the little white table beside her which caused a small ruffling noise. He blushed as Hermione grinned at him. Stupid girl, he thought. It was the least she could do because he'd been helpful. She still hated him, no doubt about that!

"I'm fine, okay?" she retorted, her voice a little louder from before. As her mouth hung open for a little while, Draco waited for her to finish her sentence. Her eyes trailed up his handsome face – past those gray eyes that stared into her brown ones, into his irises that were flecked with nothing that sinister, back out to his cheekbones that provided him with such an aristocratic look, connecting to his beautifully sculpted nose that dipped down above his perfect lips. She squirmed as she almost felt the need to drool but squirmed even more because there was something awkward about him and somehow she saw that Draco noticed this as well – but in Hermione. She shook off her thoughts and continued with what she was going to say. "So…have Ginny or the others asked of me?"

Too bad; poor mudblood, thought Draco. Even her friends didn't care about her? He wanted to laugh but Madam Pomfrey was right behind him and he didn't want the old lady to break out in a rant about manners.

"No, I haven't seen them since class and they haven't talked to me. You know, they're not exactly my crowd," he replied grimly, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Hermione frowned at his comment, knowing how true it was.

"So they haven't come and visited me, huh?" she mumbled, her voice a little louder than it should have been. A prick of guilt flowed in Draco's veins. He shouldn't have felt sympathy for her – after all, she _deserved_ everything nasty and horrible that was being thrown at her right now because she was a mudblood.

"No," he responded.

"Okay, well…thanks again, Malfoy. It means a lot to me that even though we hate each other, you still helped me out," she grinned, meaning her words genuinely. She pretended not to notice the old nurse in the background of their conversation with her jaw dropped. Malfoy shrugged with a burning sensation coming to his cheeks. _Damn_, he really shouldn't have made Professor Snape go full out in punishment with the Granger girl. Hmph, but she'd ruined his day…so he supposed that it was fair.

"Whatever," he shrugged, turning around and feeling his face flush even more. He still hated her, he still hated her, he told himself twice as he grumbled off. When Madam Pomfrey's eyes followed Malfoy out of the infirmary, she waited a few seconds before she opened her mouth, turning to Hermione, who was staring right at her with the most quizzical look.

"What an interesting relationship you two have," she commented jokingly.

It wasn't any of her business.

"We hate each other," said Hermione bitterly, the words stinging her lips.

"I think he feels more than just hate for you, darling," grinned the nurse with a wink.

What was she talking about?

"He hates me, I'm a muggle," shrugged Hermione, tilting her head over and closing her eyes before Madam Pomfrey could continue the conversation. Not even doing her homework? Certainly, she'd be awake later to do _something_.

But even _with_ closed eyes, she forgot all about the recent awkwardness. All she could think about were _his_ kisses, _his_ touch, _his_ tongue fighting hers and those eyes that stared into hers when they danced. _He_ was haunting her like a ghost and she couldn't stop it even when she tried to forget the most pleasurable night of her life.

-

"So you're thinking that Hermione might like Harry?" asked Ron, as he lay on his back on Lavender's bed. He could feel the warmth of snuggling with her. It must have been the perfect day to do this. Parvati was meeting with Padma and Hermione was staying in the infirmary. It would have been nice if someone visited her though – someone _other_ than Draco Malfoy. But oh well, Ron and Lavender's time together gave them plenty of time to chat and gossip – _and_ do things that couples do.

"Probably, I mean…I'm guessing she might have feelings for you though she's just trying to ease out of all the chaos, you know what I mean?" asked Lavender. She closed her eyes and rested her head against Ron's chest, listening to his breathing and the beat of his heart. She smiled to herself as he placed a protective hand on her shoulder.

"Sure, but if that's the case then she shouldn't try to date her best friends," he nodded, feeling an iciness take over him as he talked about Hermione's love life. He didn't know if he meant his words or not, but he felt Lavender shift from his chest, as if she interpreted his words as something else.

"You dated her too, you know," she frowned. She rolled off from him and rested herself on her stomach, letting the evening orange light surround them. She gazed at him as he gazed right back at her with his blue eyes.

"Past tense, Lavender – she and I didn't work out," he shrugged casually. "It's why we broke up."

As if, he thought. They clearly broke up because of Lavender's interference.

Lavender merely smiled and trailed her finger down Ron's chest, unbuttoning one of his buttons. He flushed red as her index finger lingered above the fly of his pants. She could feel a bump rest against her hand as she rubbed it gently.

"Lavender…"

"Shh…nobody will walk in on us."

"Okay."

His voice was in little breaks as she continued to touch him, making him sigh and groan. When she finally stopped teasing him, he drew his chin close to his mouth and planted a kiss on her lips as his hand trailed up her back's bare skin in heated touches. She smiled against his lips. This was going to be one long night, she thought.

-

"Bloody Merlin, what the hell?" screamed Ron, looking up as he heard a crash. He turned his head over as he felt the sunlight streaming against his freckled face. He covered himself up to hide his silky red boxers, placing Lavender's comforter on top of him. Lavender was fast asleep beside him in all her revealing goodness – purple, it was really becoming on her body, thought Ron.

"Quiet down, Ronald. Parvati and Lavender are still asleep," said Hermione calmly, letting go of the dorm's doorknob. She tossed Ron a knowing look. Lavender. Ron. Bed. Clothes lying around. Yep, they slept together last night, she thought. Not even she and Ron had gone _that_ far and they'd been dating way longer than he and Lavender! Perhaps that was what made them split up – because she just wasn't that into it. She tried not to look his way when he groped around for his clothes.

"Sorry about the fright, Hermione. I just reckoned that I'd be caught, that's all," he sighed, running his hands through his tangled red hair.

Hermione shrugged and made her way to her own bed that was closer to the end of the room. She was pretty livid deep inside about Lavender and Ron. Could one of them at least given her some discretion before having her walk in on them last night? She tried not to imagine two writhing bodies draping over each other in kisses and moans. It would be breakfast soon and she'd have to get herself clean _and_ reserve an appetite for her poor malnourished self.

She had a good night's rest the night before and was even able to finish her homework. Ron's gaze followed Hermione as she pulled off her sweater and was just in a tight black camisole. Thankful for still hiding his body under the covers, he gazed up her curves and noticed the most peculiar marks on her neck. They stood out to him.

"'Mione?" asked Ron grouchily, yawning as he sat up straight on Lavender's bed, still gazing at Hermione's body.

"Yeah?" she asked, unable to meet his gaze. She'd be too hurt to. Besides, she didn't want him to see the tears that were welled up in her eyes. She picked up a big sweater and slid it on, feeling the warmth comfort her in her sorrow.

"What are those red marks on your neck?" he queried, gazing at them once more. "Did you get them from that fall you had in Potions?"

"What red marks?" responded Hermione snappily. She blinked twice. "And I'm fine, thanks."

She pulled her sweater close to her body, wrapping her up and immersing herself in uncertainty. Her eyebrows were knitted together as she shot Ron a dirty look. She then picked up a couple of things and turned back to Ron, biting her bottom lip in nervousness. What was she so nervous about? She looked so stressed and disturbed.

"Never mind, Hermione. As long as you know what you're talking about."

"Look, I have to go…"

"Wait, 'Mione!"

She turned around and met his anxious face. Her face softened. He really did care about her, didn't he?

"Yeah?"

"For the record, Lavender and I didn't…do it."

If he wasn't even mature enough to say "sex", then of course he wasn't mature enough to do the deed. Hermione wrinkled her nose as she spotted Lavender whimper in her sleep.

"Like I care. I told Lavender she could do whatever she wanted. See you, Ronald."

He hated the way she called him "Ronald" now. He watched Hermione storm out in a flurry of wavy brown hair and then sighed as he sunk back into the bed, staring at the girl beside him, fast asleep. He supposedly loved or at least _liked_ that girl. But that girl was everything that went against his best friend; Hermione Granger. And what did Hermione mean by the fact that she told Lavender she could do whatever she wanted? Girls were so confusing.


	23. Tricks

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! I'll try to update more but I don't think I'll be updating very much this week and next week._

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 23: TRICKS

"How was your little intimate night?" piped Parvati Patil, as she took a seat beside Ginny Weasley, who was sitting across from Lavender Brown and Ron Weasley. She winked at her best friend with a glint in her dark eyes. Ginny's eyes widened at Ron, who just shrugged and looked away, trying hard not to notice Hermione, who was all alone at the end of the table. It seemed as if half the table heard and had their ears on the conversation. Ron prayed that Hermione's ears wouldn't perk up otherwise she'd think that he was lying to her earlier about how far his and Lavender's relationship had gone.

"It's none of your business," replied Lavender with a sly grin, mouthing a couple of inaudible words to Parvati, who nodded. Ginny mentally rolled her eyes as she kicked Ron from under the table. How could he have done this to Hermione?

"It _is_ my business, Lavender Brown," smiled Parvati, clearly enjoying the attention.

"Why is that?" retorted Lavender sweetly.

"I sleep across from you. I think you guys were done before I got back though," she smirked.

"Look, maybe we should stop talking about this in case _she_ feels uncomfortable," murmured Ron nervously. He tried not to glance in Hermione's direction because he was afraid of what Lavender or Parvati may have thought.

"Why? She _told_ me herself that you and I could do whatever," she shrugged smugly, crossing her legs under the table.

Ron bit his lip and was tempted to tell her that he knew, but didn't want to test her. It was unfair because Hermione didn't deserve to be hurt like this. It was as if Lavender was purposely trying to push her over a cliff. And with each passing minute and insult, Hermione was closer to falling off the edge.

Every word that hit Hermione surely hurt, but she actually tried to smile at Harry when he walked into the Great Hall with Neville. His green eyes were fixed on Ron and the others before him and his face was quite emotionless. She frowned. He hadn't even acknowledged her. In fact, he ignored her completely, not even staring into her eyes when she stared into his. Maybe he didn't see her. But _ugh_, why did everyone hate her today? She hadn't even gone through breakfast yet and she was feeling horrible. Perhaps all she could think about now, optimistically, was that silvery eyed boy.

Rows of students away, Draco Malfoy sat at his usual seat where he made sure that he was surrounded by Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott and the dimwits Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. When he made sure that Pansy was utterly humiliated by their little stronghold, she took a seat beside Daphne Greengrass, who was busy chattering away with her younger sister Astoria. The sisters waved at Pansy and continued with their conversations. She frowned in dismay and couldn't find the courage inside of herself to look over at the boys. Maybe if something huge happened, she'd get involved. Until then, it was going to be all about sneaking glances and possibly trying to mutter a few words here and there.

"_So_, I heard you had to clean up after the mudblood," smirked Blaise Zabini handsomely as he ran a hand under his chiseled jaw to show off his freshly shaved self. Crabbe shot a look at Goyle, while Theodore tried not to frown or shake his head.

"Yeah, in Potions," replied Draco, his face ashen as he stared down at his goblet.

"How did it feel to have to carry her all the way there?" queried Goyle stupidly. Draco tried not to kick him from under the table.

"_Funny_, but I think only you would be low enough to put your hands on her," muttered Draco. A few eyebrows raised around him. They obviously knew that at some point Draco had to lay his hands on her. And he himself knew that his touch lingered on hers at the infirmary when she stumbled off of her bed. He tried to shake those thoughts out of his mind.

"She's kind of pretty, actually," commented Theodore blankly, trying to stare past a group of heads for the dampened brunette. Draco and Blaise's jaws dropped at that comment. Theodore looked back at them and shrugged. "What?"

"You're talking about the mudblood, right?" asked Draco snappily.

"No, I'm talking about you," deadpanned Theodore with an eye roll.

"Why thank you," nodded Draco, shooting Blaise a haughty look. He merely shrugged at his comment and continued to eat. It felt awkward because everyone knew that Blaise was the handsomest in most people's eyes. But in Draco's eyes, perhaps the little brunette was also quite pretty. He rarely thought of mudbloods as "pretty" or even "decent". He was never quite able to look past their blood status to really think that.

"Whatever, Draco…I suppose that if she wasn't so studious and we were both drunk, I'd have a go at her," smirked Theodore, biting into a chunk of his fruit. Draco shook his head.

"I didn't know you needed to take advantage of girls in order to have a shot. Anyways, is this some sort of bet?" asked Draco. Blaise frowned. There was no way he'd stoop down so low though it would have been fun to watch the poor girl suffer. Draco then placed an index finger on his lips and opened his mouth again. "Let's see…maybe not like a bet. Perhaps more like an experiment just to humiliate her."

"That's cruel," sighed Theodore. He shook his head.

"But I bet those were your intentions, you masochist," snickered Blaise as Draco smirked at him.

"Right," said Theodore quietly. "I'm not going to take part in this though."

"Great, then Draco can!" exclaimed Blaise, patting his friend on the back as if he'd be living in a dragon's cave for a month. Draco sunk into his seat as he turned around to face the pretty brunette. She wasn't _that_ bad. Perhaps he could get her back for making him take her to the infirmary. It'd be revenge on top of revenge from Professor Snape's detention.

"Fine, but you guys owe me," frowned Draco.

"Owe you _what_? Won't you get enough satisfaction from her humiliation already?" queried Blaise. He looked at Theodore for a moment, who had a pained expression on his face.

"Like I said…I'm not taking part in this," said Theodore flatly. Blaise shot Draco a look and nodded.

-

"You're not funny, Malfoy; so you can stop mocking me," frowned Hermione. She rolled her eyes and paced off with a huff. Her day so far was bad enough. Why did Draco have to come and make it even worse?

"On the contrary, I _do_ find myself quite humourous," smiled Draco, trying to see if she'd pop or not. He grabbed her arm as he caught up to her. He pretended not to notice her look at it as if his hand belonged to a corpse. "But anyways, how are you feeling?"

She tried to shake away his grasp. She hated it when guys did that. Did they think they had control or something? She stared daggers into his gray eyes and inhaled a spicy sweetness that was coming from him. She could feel his touch lingering on her arm, almost feeling fingers creep up her sleeves. She pulled away from him as she found her face about a couple inches from his. She was so close to him that she could see how his eyelashes slanted down straight instead of curling slightly, and so close that she could notice a little red mark on his cheekbone.

"I'm feeling fine, thank you," she replied firmly.

"Okay then, see you later," nodded Draco, feeling stupid for their conversation. Their gaze on each other lingered for a while as he stepped back. She smiled at him. What was up with that?

And as Draco began to pace off, he couldn't help but smirk. This was going to be so easy, but definitely going to take a toll on Draco's social life, he decided. But whatever, it'd keep his mind off that pretty girl from the ball, keep his mind off of Pansy, and definitely keep Blaise satisfied. Turning a corner, he hadn't noticed the dark blue eyed boy listening to their exchange of words.

-

"You're serious about that experiment, huh?" queried Theodore Nott as casually as possible. He was in the library picking up some books for his homework, while Draco Malfoy tagged along. At least it would have been a quieter place to talk. They'd even cast a spell to make their voices inaudible in case Hermione Granger was loitering about.

"Sure, why not? That'll teach Granger to be a part of my burden," scoffed Draco pompously. His knapsack was on the floor as he watched Theodore pull out a dusty red book and shot his blonde friend a dirty look as he ran one hand above his eyes to sweep away the black hair that was swept across his forehead.

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't her fault," shrugged Theodore with a raised eyebrow.

"It's her fault for taking Astronomy and her fault for getting herself busted with Snape. Besides, I talked to him and she's going to get some _really_ bad punishments like longer detentions or whatever," he smirked, with an air of arrogance enveloping him.

"So you're humiliating her _and_ giving her detention?" queried Theodore. Way to state the obvious! His dark blue eyes stared into Draco's gray ones.

"Yeah, pretty much," replied Draco coolly. He tried to sound collected. Hmm, when Theodore said it, he made it sound really mean and harsh.

In reality, it was…


	24. Connections

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! Sorry, this chapter was rushed! Also, just for clarification, Theodore will not hook up with Hermione in this story though in my next story (not a sequel to this one); I'll most likely write a TN/HG!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 24: CONNECTIONS

"And we h-haven't spoken since," sobbed Luna, her voice stuttering. She sat beside Cho Chang in the Ravenclaw common room. Cho's silken black hair fell in her face as she patted Luna's back. Luna and Cho hadn't been on speaking terms since their previous humiliating chat. However, if someone ignored a crying girl, then that person was heartless and ought to be taught a lesson. The roaring fireplace was before them, making their faces have a rosier glow.

"So you really liked him, huh?" asked Cho, thinking of her own feelings for Harry. To be honest with herself, she didn't really _have_ feelings for him compared to Luna and how she was bawling right now. She'd never seen the blonde girl so miserable before.

Her mind zoomed back to that horrible night. At first, Luna Lovegood just shrugged it off and pretended that her mind was playing games with her. However, after realization kicked in, seeing a girl looking exactly like her kissing Harry Potter and intimately pressed against him was well, like watching herself but realizing that it was another fake. Now, she didn't know the full story; if it was Harry that intended to do this or not. But he hadn't bothered to explain things to her. Perhaps he was just toying with her the whole time and wasn't different. Perhaps he thought she was truly deserving of her nickname – _Loony_ Lovegood. Perhaps she just succumbed to the wonder boy's charm; and perhaps, just perhaps, he didn't know what to say to her. It wasn't as if he could really _say_ anything to her if he didn't have the facts.

"I did, Cho. I was s-skeptical at first. What would Harry p-possibly see in me? But the n-night at the ball showed me that it wasn't _me_ that he liked! I'm scared that he planned t-this all along," she sighed, letting a hot tear roll down her cheek. Her voice was airy and her breathing was subdued.

"I'm sorry," murmured Cho. She didn't know what to say. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

She had no intentions of using this as an excuse to hook up with him though it may have been nice to find out who the Luna Lovegood doppelganger was. Besides, deep down inside, Cho knew that Harry must have felt some sort of guilt. He wasn't a mean person and Luna was just taking it in too deeply and taking in too much at once. She was being too hard on herself.

"That won't be necessary," replied Luna silently. She tried to regulate her breathing afterwards as she regained her composure. Cho thought she saw a flicker of anxiety rush through Luna for a moment. It was in her eyes. She _wanted_ Cho to ask even though she denied it. Life since the ball was miserable for Luna. She tried to hide her frustration and sadness but it never truly worked. She'd spent nights sobbing and staring outside at the moon until she fell asleep or just spend nights laying awake and dreaming of Harry or possibly some sort of closure to this bridge she had to cross. Most of the time, she just wanted to give up. Her jolly and optimistic self was disappearing and she knew that it would be a long time until she'd recover from this.

"Are you sure?" muttered Cho. She fidgeted at the collar of her dress shirt that lay under a neat dark gray sweater that clung to her body. When Luna looked back at her, all she saw was kindness. Cho really did care, she thought. Cho wouldn't be _this_ mean and decide to laugh at her with Marietta Edgecombe. "Look Luna, I know you and I don't have a good relationship. But I really do want to be your friend if you'll let me."

She _never_ had to ask anyone to be her friend in her life. For Cho, it was everyone that flocked to _her_. Luna blinked away her tears and put on a brave face, though her lips still trembled. Cho gave her the slightest smile and gasped in surprise as Luna gave her a friendly hug. The confused Asian girl returned the hug as she patted the girls back, her nose against her straggly blonde hair.

"Thanks so much, Cho."

-

"So you're _not_ going to talk to Luna or Hermione about the incident?" queried Ginny, as she talked to Harry in the halls. A couple of people glanced their way to see if they were dating or not. After the infamous Luna incident, people hadn't expected Harry to jump so quickly.

"I shouldn't talk to Luna if I don't have the facts though I know she deserves an explanation. I feel like I just really messed up with her, you know? With Hermione, I'll have to wait and confront her. I mean, Lavender's been awfully suspicious about her. But yeah, she's my best friend and I just wish that I knew the whole story. After all, it could all just be a simple misunderstanding," he sighed. He looked down at his feet and back at Ginny again. "But if you discover anything, you'll tell me, right?"

Ginny was tempted to melt into a puddle. She _knew_ everything because she'd caused it. Guilt flowed inside of her.

"Sure, Harry," she replied nervously.

"Thanks," he said in his friendliest tone of voice. He hugged her and felt her sweater itching against his. Ginny blushed and felt the guilt trickle out faster. She wanted to run away and hide and mope about for this. But the other part of her was clearly enjoying the attention she was getting from him. She inhaled and smelled his pleasant, clean scent and smiled against his shoulder. His embrace had certainly warmed her up.

"No problem."

"I knew I could count on you."

She tensed up as soon as he said this. _Damn_, if he found out the truth, things weren't going to be good. Nonetheless, she put on a brave face and didn't want to have a horrid expression on her face while hugging the wonder boy – just in case someone would make a snide comment about it later on.

"Well, I have class. See you, Ginny!" exclaimed Harry.

"Yeah, see you," she replied hesitantly.

-

"Malfoy!" hollered Hermione loudly as she found him pacing outside on school grounds. It would have been totally awkward for someone like _her_ to be calling out at someone like _him_. Nonetheless, she tried to keep her cool while people stared at her and while Draco raised his eyebrows. What could she have possibly wanted now?

He stared up at the cloudless sky for a moment, squinting under the rays of light that nearly blinded him when he emerged from the foot of a tree, reading a textbook. A little image of that amused Hermione though she'd keep that to herself.

"Yeah, Granger?" he asked flatly. He'd been tempted to call her "mudblood" and he'd probably call her that a few times to prevent her from suspecting anything _and_ because it was too difficult to be overly civil towards her. After all, the little experiment was still going on. He ran his fingers through his glossy blonde hair as his feet touched the solid ground. It felt bumpy.

"I talked to Professor Slughorn about Potions and he wants us to brew one together tonight," she sighed, her voice cut in little breaks. She was most likely as eager to do this as he was. Draco's expression was rather neutral, though inside his mind he cursed Hermione again. He felt his nose wrinkle slightly at this afterwards. It was all her fault. Why did she have to attend those Astronomy classes if she couldn't even handle a lack of sleep? Would she fall asleep on him tonight and force him to finish the potion on his own?

"Well, is it mandatory?" snapped Draco impolitely. He was actually planning on having a good night's rest tonight. These new plans just changed everything.

"That's like asking if my detention is mandatory, Malfoy," seethed Hermione. She was standing right in front of him with her arms crossed across her chest. He tried not to roll his eyes as he stared down at her. He noticed the breeze lift her wavy brown hair up, and then let it rest against her shoulder. He tried not to blush.

"Fine, but how will we even get the potion finished if _you_ have detention?" he asked her. He thought about it for a while. Snape would be more brutal and if they were going to meet up _after_ her detention, she'd definitely give him the cold shoulder. How would his experiment succeed then? Well, maybe he'd have an excuse to tease her then, he thought. A knowing smirk spread across his face.

"What are you smirking about? Aren't you worried at all about your grades?" piped Hermione, placing a lock of her hair behind one ear and glaring at the sneaky boy before her.

"Sure I am," he shrugged blankly. His eyes seemed to glitter at this point.

"Well, it doesn't seem like it," she huffed.

"It also seems as if you're overreacting – in which you are," he sighed, not knowing how effective his words really were. At this point, he wondered why he ever agreed to participate in this experiment. But he supposed that it did have its perks. When she was down and humiliated, this would anger Potty.

"Whatever, okay? I'll see you at 9:00 in the dungeons," she replied sourly with an eye roll. She watched Draco blink twice and stare down at his feet with the blankest expression. "You know…the Potions classroom?"

"Geez, I knew _that_, Granger. I was just thinking about something. I'll meet you at 9:00," he spat rudely. He watched her shake her head and mutter something about boys under her breath and head off. Draco just had a wonderful plan to work with the experiment. He suspected that his fellow Slytherin expected that by Christmas, test results would be complete and a presentation to them would be organized. It probably would have been humiliating on his part – but whoever got the worst part of this would have been Hermione Granger.

Too bad she never saw any of this coming.


	25. Twists

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! _

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 25: TWISTS

That bloody Malfoy! That stupid, cunning, conniving, idiotic Malfoy! No, that stupid, cunning, conniving, idiotic, rude, chauvinistic, obnoxious ferret! How could he? Hermione knew that something this horrible would happen. Professor Snape had given her detention – a very long detention that involved organizing old files – scanning through letters and names of students that made her eyes make letters jumble up together. She remembered the professor's icy words go into her ear, "Miss Granger, perhaps next time you are in the infirmary, you shall inform Mister Malfoy to inform me of your condition. For _such _a smart witch, you may not be so smart after all."

It was _him_.

"Wow Granger, the closer your eyebrows furrow, the more wrinkles you'll get in your pathetic little mudblood face," sneered the blonde boy. He had his arms folded across his chest and was dressed in a black V-neck sweater that emphasized his slim, yet toned physique; and a pair of gray slacks. Hermione on the other hand, was too angered to change into anything and was still in her school uniform.

"Shut up, you ferret!" she snarled, looking even angrier as she waltzed into the Potions classroom to greet Professor Slughorn. She took the first seat she could find, which was all the way in the back. The faster she could get out of here when she was finished, the better. Draco blinked twice, wondering what had gotten into her. Oh _right_, the detention, he thought. That probably took a toll on his experiment right now. But somehow, he felt a sting of guilt prick against him. He shook that thought out of his head and watched her pace to the front of the classroom, where the professor was going through some homework.

He noticed that the Granger girl still had a fierce scowl all over her face, distorting her soft features. But _whatever_, she deserved it and shouldn't have expected him to be so nice to her. He was a Malfoy – she was well, nothing. She was no better than a rag in the pureblood society's eyes.

"Fine, if you want to do this without me, then I suppose I'll let you earn my marks for me," scoffed Draco with a rude smirk plastered across his handsome face. He sat next to her, making sure that there was enough space on the table for _her_ to do all the work. He looked satisfied and smug.

"You bloody bastard," muttered Hermione. She was beyond angry at what Professor Snape had put her through – having her realize that if it wasn't for Draco's big mouth, or perhaps, closed mouth, she'd probably just be sitting there and forced to write sentences over and over again.

"That's right. That's who I am," he nodded. The professor hardly noticed their chatter. Draco watched as Hermione flattened her bangs against her face and bunched up her wavy hair into a ponytail. For all she knew, Draco could start tossing ingredients into her hair or perhaps she'd end up dirtying it. She didn't want to go back to her dorm looking like she was run over by a unicorn. She sighed and reached out for the silver dagger that sat in front of her. She was tempted to stab it against Draco and watch blood gush out of him. It wouldn't kill him, no, but it _would_ scar him.

"What _are_ you looking at?" pressed Hermione through gritted teeth as she placed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. An aroma of vanilla filled the air, mixed with the spicy sweetness she felt familiar with. Hmm, she couldn't quite place her finger on it though. She blushed as she felt Draco's gray eyes melt in her brown ones – it would have been like icing with chocolate; maybe minus the sweetness. She felt so self-conscious at that moment. Come _on_, just because nobody had seen her tie her hair up in a ponytail it wasn't like it was the end of the world.

"Nothing…you just reminded me of someone, a few days ago," he droned, his eyebrows knitted together as he studied her features slowly. Brown eyes, not just a mud brown – but an actual chocolate brown that was staring deeply into his gray eyes. His eyes scanned around her delicate cheekbones and then down her nose that dipped above her pink lips, coloured from all the nervousness.

"Whatever," retorted Hermione with an eye roll.

"You're annoyed when I mentioned 'a few days ago'?" he queried with a sly grin. He received a shrug in response, letting his gears to questioning start off with a light squeak. "Ooh, I see! You're angry because of Weasel and Brown so you decided to make a go for Potty…"

His voice was menacing and deeper than usual. He watched as Hermione took the sharp end of the dagger and crushed the bean in the bowl. Sopophorous – shriveled and being badly mutilated by the mudblood. A light noise was being made here and there, while Draco continued to wait for a response.

"I didn't go to the dance," she stammered, her face glowing pink. His eyes were still on her. Why couldn't he just look away?

"You did, Granger. Even if you were disguised as Lovegood, it was obvious that you were there. I can _tell_ that you're lying," he sighed, as if to warn her that she was being pathetic by being a horrible liar.

"You believe them, don't you?" she asked meekly, continuing to crush the beans in the clumsiest manner.

She could sense that Draco was trying to think of something to say. Was it going to be an insult? Or was he going to question her until his mouth hurt? Seriously, what was there to know? She shook her head and continued to crush the bean. Her hair fell in her face a couple of times, in which she merely shook her head to prevent her hair from falling into her face too much.

"Try crushing with the flat side."

"What?"

"The blasted dagger, Granger."

"Right."

She spun the handle of the dagger in her hand and Draco's advice actually worked. She tried to smile at him though his eyes were still fixed on her. His lips curled slightly as he watched her.

"So why do you think I'm lying?" she queried, placing the silver dagger in an empty bowl nearby as Draco fetched it for her. The contact made a clanging noise.

"I'm the master liar, Granger. I won't be fooled so easily," he replied softly, in an almost flirtatious tone of voice. Hermione thought she felt her breath get suck in her throat. She coughed.

"_Right_, well. I'll have you know that though I took the Polyjuice Potion from Snape, I wasn't the second Luna," she sighed, not knowing what was passing through her lips.

"I know you weren't. I was just teasing," he smirked. What in Merlin was up with him? One moment he'd be suspicious and he next moment he'd be changing his mind. _Boy_swere so confusing – and to think that girls were confusing! Hermione rolled her brown eyes and reaching out for a valerian root.

"Then where was I, oh smart one?" she asked him teasingly. _Ugh_, was she flirting with him now? She felt like kicking herself and running out of that room though she stared ahead and noticed that Professor Slughorn was no longer in the room. Perhaps he left for a while. She bit her lip. This was rather intimidating, being in a room all alone with Draco Malfoy. But she wasn't afraid, right?

"Who knows? I don't stalk mudbloods," he replied arrogantly. "Why don't you tell me where you were?"

Hermione was aware that Draco knew they were alone now. The expression on his face grew wilder and meaner and she hoped that they wouldn't be hexing each other the next minute.

"Why don't you tell me where _you_ were?"

"I should not have to respond to such a pathetic mudblood."

"Then don't expect me to have to respond to such a pathetic ferret."

The expression on Draco's face grew even angrier as his eyes widened and then squinted. He snarled as he grabbed a fistful of Hermione's hair and began to tug at it while she squealed and placed her hands on his chest to shove him away. She yelped when he grabbed both her wrists with one hand, feeling the pain singe through her body. Her eyebrows knit together and her mouth was open, making noises of whimpering and sniffling.

"_Don't _tell me what to do and what not to do; understand?" he snarled loudly, his voice echoing. If the professor was in this room, certainly he would have stopped this fight. But he wasn't. Hermione felt fear and pain rise at the pit of her stomach. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed in short breaths. She could see that red mark on his face from earlier grow redder and she saw his nostrils flare slightly from the aroma of vanilla mixed with sweetness – all sweaty from fear and danger.

"Y-yes," she squeaked, feeling herself be drawn closer to him as he tugged her hair even harder. She tried not to let her eyes water up. She wouldn't give Draco the satisfaction of seeing her down like that. His grasp on her eased and weakened as he let go of her wrists, which were still against his chest. She could feel his heart beating through his shirt and had to fight her own conscience so that she wouldn't pull off his clothes. It was too tempting. But oh, his touch and body was familiar, she decided. _Ugh_, she hated the way her mind was betraying her!

"Good, we wouldn't want to waste a mudblood genius, now, would we?" he purred. His voice sounded silky as he could smell the fear and see it in her eyes. His free hand trailed down her soft face and over her trembling lips, grazing its suppleness and pinkness. Hermione pursed her lips, determined to rub away at every bit of her skin Draco had touched He was waiting for a response and it was overly humiliating because he _knew_ what he was doing to her. He knew that she would be tempted to kiss him and hate herself for it. But the oddest part was, when the two of them were situated that close to each other, they suspected something and felt a connection far stronger than before. Both wore startled expressions shortly after that embarrassing scene.

"Hey umm, let's just finish up with the potion, shall we?"

"Right…I couldn't agree with you more."

-

"Hey Draco, why'd you return so late? Spent a long night in another bed?" asked Blaise Zabini, as he lay alone on his bed with one eye open and the other closed. Theodore Nott, who lay across from Blaise, shot him a dirty look. "Don't tell me you already shagged the poor mudblood."

"No, but something's weird about her," shrugged Draco casually.

"Get her down by Christmas. I need a good present – her humiliation will amuse me," snickered Blaise. He didn't like the way he pushed him around. But their friendship was like that. They both enjoyed pushing each other around and hated each other's guts, which made them friends. Theodore continued to stare with his dark blue eyes knowingly, as if he knew something.

"Draco…" he mumbled.

He looked over at his dark haired friend with a nervous smile.

"Yeah?"

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Just _don't_."


	26. Realizations

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! I'm sorry I haven't been able to update frequently enough. Yes, I've noticed my hits and viewer traffic go down and I'm sort of sad about it too. I suppose it's weird the way things are going in the story now and I'm sorry if it gets "forever ruined"._

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 26: REALIZATIONS

One week had passed since Hermione and Draco's strange encounter. Since then, things were generally the same though Professor Snape had _finally_ let her out of detention. That gave her a lot more time to wallow in her loneliness. She supposed that she wasn't _that_ lonely though. She'd been making some progress with Harry, however; despite the fact that they had the most boring conversations such as discussing the weather or discussing Quidditch. Tryouts were over and the first game would be in a couple of days. The team had been training hard and they were normally busy so that at least gave Hermione some time on her own without being criticized of walking too closely to Harry or staring at Ron too much.

To be completely honest with herself, she _missed_ her friends. But at the same time, she'd rather be alone. It was something she just couldn't explain. Yes, she still chatted with Ginny but their friendship was clearly strained. Until Ginny would admit her fault in the Polyjuice Potion incident, they wouldn't confide in each other. Every time Hermione asked her if she could admit the truth already, she'd say no and make up an excuse.

Hermione knew that deep inside, Ginny was trying to hook up with Harry while his relationship with Luna had fizzled away. Harry was a little hurt over the fact that Luna was now seeing Seamus Finnigan but Ginny was usually there to convince him that everything would be okay because she knew that Luna didn't really like him all that much. Sometimes Hermione wondered if Harry felt that Ginny was more of a sister than girlfriend material. But she wouldn't open her mouth. Even when she'd see the handsome Cormac McLaggen chatting with Lavender Brown, she'd say nothing. Why did Lavender have to befriend _all_ the guys? Just because her boyfriend Ron was away at Quidditch practice, it didn't mean that she could cut off all of Hermione's potential suitors.

Then again, it wasn't as if anyone would want to date _her_ after the horrible incident.

"Hermione, there's an owl for you," murmured Parvati Patil, as the two of them sat on their own beds. Parvati yawned as she crawled back into bed, feeling sick. The crisp autumn air surrounded them as Hermione maladroitly opened the window, spotting a large grayish brown owl drop off a thick piece of parchment – there was no doubt that something was inside it.

"Who do you belong to?" asked Hermione softly, staring into the owl's big amber eyes. The owl merely cooed and flew out the window. She watched it take flight with its wings fighting the breeze and afterwards, she closed the window. The brunette sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, liking the new hairstyle she was adapting for herself. Her bangs had grown out to cover her eyes completely and touch the tips of where her cheekbones began to protrude out of her delicate face. She was able to sweep her bangs off to the side. Her look was different – a little more mature and hopefully sophisticated. As she undid the delicate black ribbon that was tied into a perfect bow around the parchment, she let the ribbon drop to the floor. Reclining against her bed and taking a deep breath, she let the parchment unfold – only to find a dark wine red fabric, with black lace and indents, as well as eyeholes.

_Shit_, she thought. She thought that it could have ended already. She then looked at the piece of parchment that lay under the mask. Studying the neat cursive, she read out the words slowly under her breath.

_Hermione Granger,  
I am sure that you must be bewildered upon receiving my letter. I am also sure that you recall our little stunt at the Masked Ball. However, I assure you that I will not broadcast this to the public. Meet me tonight at 10:00 the Astronomy Tower. I will continue this conversation in person._

_- Anonymous_

She grimaced, knowing that this was not a prank at all. This person had sent her the mask. It had to be _him_. His scent lingered through the air as she quickly shoved the mask into her pocket in case Parvati would see. People still suspected that she had feelings for Harry and she knew that it was about time that someone would find out the truth. Just how long, she didn't know.

-

Hermione took a deep breath. In about fifteen seconds, she'd come face to face – or possibly, mask to mask with the boy that made her go crazy. She'd always seen his silvery eyes everywhere but was unsure of whom he was – she never really had the guts to find out either. She was dressed in a loose white trapeze top and a pair of black pants that clung to her curves. The air was cold and she was shivering, debating with herself if she should have brought her wand or not. In the end, she did. Who knew what kind of freak would await her?

"Hello?" she asked. She was the first to speak as she looked outside to spot stars glistening in the sky. The moon was not bright enough to cast enough light into the tower. She looked around and knew that it would have been too dark. What if this was a hoax? Her heart beat rapidly as the silence enveloped her. Pacing about sluggishly, she walked closer into the darkness, with her hand in her pocket, touching her wand.

Hermione thought she heard a rustling noise as she spun around and squinted her eyes, thinking that she saw a figure approach her.

"_Lumos,_" she muttered. Immediately, a warm glow came from the tip of her wand. She felt her breath only warm her up momentarily. She wasn't going to come out for nothing and possibly even get sick. Hearing footsteps come closer, she stuck out her wand in front of her. It was hard for her to see anything, though she spotted a tall, masked figure before her. She felt butterflies at the pit of her stomach as she reached out to touch the face – soft and warm, despite the cold weather on a night like this. The boy blushed, which made goose bumps appear all over Hermione's body.

The boy's silvery eyes stared into her brown ones. His hair was in his face and Hermione couldn't quite make out the colour. With a nod from the boy, his finger pointed at the tip of Hermione's wand. Right, of course he'd want it out. She stood there, challenging him with her own Hermione Granger classic stare. It wasn't good enough to work because he stood there in front of her too. It was as if he could silently tell her that nothing would happen if the light was still on. Reluctantly, she muttered something under her breath and the light was put out. She placed her wand back in her pocket and felt warm hands slide around her waist, pressed against her sides. She squirmed.

"Who are you?" she asked quickly, inhaling his spicy sweetness as she hesitantly leaned against him when he brought her closer. He could smell the strong aroma of vanilla from her hair. He kissed the top of her head, resting his lips upon her silky brown hair.

There was no response until his lips were removed from the top of her head but drawn to her lips. He'd claimed them in the dark, sending electric jolts through Hermione's body. She felt weak from the sizzling kiss that had certainly warmed her up. She missed having someone to hold onto – someone to kiss. But perhaps this might not have been the perfect person for her. She didn't know who he was yet she was so welcomed in his arms – yet she felt somewhat comfortable, but somewhat uncomfortable and disturbed by the nagging at the back of her head.

"Mm," she groaned, parting her lips slightly as she felt the boy's hot breath in her mouth, which made her tongue sweep against his. A low moan erupted from the boy's throat as Hermione trailed her hands down to his toned stomach – perfection. She felt his warm hands around the bare flesh of her skin, lifting up her shirt ever so slightly as she moaned in his ear, pressing her chest closer to his. She felt him tense up and certainly this physical contact had an effect on her as well, pooling in moisture from between her thighs. Nibbling at a spot by his jaw and ear, she trailed her tongue down his neck, feeling hands cup her bottom.

No, she thought. She had to know who he was first.

Gathering up all the willpower in her mind, she pulled away and stepped back, feeling the boy's hands rest at the small of her back. She felt like melting on the spot.

"Who are you?" she asked again.

"Take off my mask," responded the voice, which was oddly familiar to her. He dragged her off towards the moonlight, letting a cool blue wash over her face with a glowing sensation. She was so beautiful, he thought. He could almost reach out and kiss her again if it weren't for the fact that she so desperately wanted to know his identity. But after finding out who he really was – well, she might never want to kiss him again.

His breathing regulated again as he stood before her, taking time to marvel at her beautiful bone structure as he closed his gray eyes. Hermione gulped as she slowly peeled away at his mask, probably just as nervous as the handsome boy before her. And as she pulled it away and let it drop to the ground, she yelled – though the scream was caught up in her throat and the only noises that came out were squeaks and whimpers.

_Fuck_.


	27. Pleasures

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! Warning, some swearing and slightly mature content. I'm also thinking that Hermione's reaction to everything might not be strong enough – ha! But I wouldn't want you guys to be looking at a full paragraph of swearing; which would probably be what she'd be thinking in a situation like this._

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 27: PLEASURES

"It's _you_, Malfoy?!" she stuttered, stepping back quickly. Her eyebrows knit together as she placed a hand over her mouth. How could this have happened? How could it have been _him_? Didn't he hate her? A million questions flooded her mind and numbed her momentarily.

But seriously; _holy fucking bloody Merlin_. She _kissed_ this guy and let him touch her?

"Took you long enough to figure that out," he replied, trying to sound calm. His voice was soft and not menacing at all. Right now, she just wanted to faint. This was too much for her. His piercing silvery eyes bored into her chocolate brown ones, making her think horrible thoughts. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair as he smirked at her.

"You _knew_ it was me? Why didn't you j-just keep quiet? You h-hate me!" she blabbered. She began to back off until she felt two hands grab her wrists. "What the –?

She screamed and kicked as Draco pinned her against the cold stone wall. Nobody heard her. Nobody seemed to care either. Her back hurt so badly again. She didn't know what to think. She felt his breath hot against her ear as he nibbled at her earlobe, making her cringe. His body crushed hers. She could hardly breathe under the heat of their contact and his weight against her. He wasn't heavy, no, but he was just trying to make sure that she wouldn't escape too soon.

"I _do_ hate you, Granger. But you're positively delicious," he purred, loosening his grasp on her momentarily as his hands fell on her hips. He pressed himself against her, with a thigh in between her legs, teasing her slowly. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction – not now, not ever! Too bad she felt her willpower slowly diminishing with every ripple of pleasure that shot through her. It was rather subtle, but Draco knew what girls wanted.

"You're joking," she seethed. "We loathe each other. We hate everything about each other."

"I wouldn't say…_everything_," Draco corrected coolly.

"How'd you know it was me?" she panted, gripping his shoulders tightly as he kissed her neck. She stood there frozen, feeling stupid for letting him kiss her but she couldn't help but feel a light tingling feeling when he did this to her. It was something she surely hadn't felt with Ron. _Git_, she thought.

"It could only have been you – the clues added up, you're not the only genius around here. Plus, you're not a good liar, and I have to admit, you've been on my mind for a long time," he said flatly. He was trying to fight off the side of him that wanted to slap her across the face for rejecting him in the first place. The other side of him tried not to make sure his actions were out of pleasure. In reality, his plans were to humiliate her – for the sake of the experiment. But as he slowly began to break down her walls, he found that Hermione made him feel so good and perhaps crumbled part of his own defenses as well.

"Cut the crap, Malfoy!" she shouted with a short gasp, trying hard not to give into him. There was no way she'd be turned on by Draco. Even as she felt soaking wet, she was going to put on a brave face. This was way too humiliating, but _ugh_, it felt so good. As she bit her lip a little longer and she felt scattered kisses on her neck and collarbone area, she felt the weight of Draco shift off. She gazed at him. He was gorgeous, and if looks could kill, Hermione would have been dead back in her first year already.

"It's hard when my every touch turns you on," he moaned in her ear. It was true.

Every kiss he'd scattered across her collarbone had made her whimper, and every touch of his magical fingers on the most common areas had made her sigh or bite her lip. She felt like she'd permanently mutilated her lips from all of this heat.

"It does not!"

"Oh, I'm sure it does."

"Malf – _hey_, what the fuck?!"

"This turns you on, doesn't it?"

Hermione's head was in the air and pressed against the wall, feeling as if she'd be crushed any moment under the weight of this conversation. Draco had his fingers down Hermione's pants and into her soaking panties. She bit her lip even harder, believing that she drew in blood. His skilled fingers stroked through all her moisture and he couldn't help but smirk at the expression on her face. It was priceless. Her eyes were fluttering, her lips were pursed shut and he noticed how her chest moved through the material of her shirt.

"Just – stop – biting," he mumbled, as he kissed her lips. She let him kiss her. Then deeply. She almost felt as if she had to give in or else she'd die on the spot. He was rubbing her while his tongue was in hers, intertwining and fighting. She moaned in his mouth as he withdrew his fingers, before he could have gotten her even further. He knew he had her where he wanted her, and clearly enjoyed teasing her.

"What the fuck, Malfoy?" she spat, slapping him hard across the face. A loud smacking noise erupted from their contact. "That counts as harassment!"

Hormones, thought Draco slyly.

Draco pressed his hand against his cheek as he gasped and then smirked. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing him down like that. It probably wouldn't leave a mark, he decided. He'd continue to push her buttons until she popped.

"I'm just finishing off what should have happened back in the broom cupboard. Anyways, you clearly enjoyed how my fingers went against you," he said, stating the obvious. Hermione flushed red in the dark, but visibly red, in which it indicated Draco's victory. He then opened his mouth. "You should be careful, you're as red as Weasel's hair."

"You're a_ total_ git!" she sputtered, knowing he was right. There was no denying that.

"A handsome, seductive git," he said, correcting her.

_Damn_, he was so right about that.

"Whatever, Malfoy. I don't see why you'd be interested in me so let's just stop doing this and continue on our way," she snapped, ready to run away. She never felt so humiliated. This was the _enemy_. He was seducing her and making her think of things that would fry the wires in her mind. He was evil, pure evil – pure _delicious_, addictive evil. She sighed.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want anyone to know of what just happened," he sneered. He didn't bother trying to be soft with her anymore at this point. Perhaps he would, later on. In all due time, the Malfoy charm would work its ways and she'd be begging him to take her. All it took was a bit of personality changing and confusion.

"I wouldn't. But I don't see why you'd want a piece of filth like me," she scoffed, glaring at him.

"Haven't you heard? I'm _bad_," he replied, in which his reply was hardly worthy of a reply at all.

The moonlight danced around them. If they were caught, they would be in so much trouble. If anyone knew of this, they would both be humiliated. And if they continued this? Well, it would surely rattle Hermione up.

"Fuck off, Malfoy. Don't _ever _touch me again."

"But you enjoyed it. Besides, I can heal that little broken heart of yours."

She took a deep breath and stared into his eyes. He didn't care about her. He was just selfish. Fuck, he was basically just _undressing_ her with his bloody eyes. But Merlin was he irresistible. She so badly wanted to rip off her own clothes and then tear at his and jump at him and have him inside of her, pounding and thrusting with everything he had. She tried to shake the thought out of her head.

Coincidentally, Draco had thought about this too. He was surprised at himself for even finding a mudblood attractive to begin with. This girl was different because she hadn't thrown herself at him like most girls had. In fact, this was probably the only girl that had the most willpower. The other girls? Well, they were merely marks and tallies on his broomstick – in which he had to buy another broom just to continue his count. But this girl was deserving of _two_ tallies – no_ five_. He didn't know! This was so confusing.

"It's okay, Draco. All you have to do is succeed in the experiment," he muttered under his breath to himself.

_What kind of bloody spell was this?_

-

"You _do_ realize how embarrassing it could have been if it didn't turn out to be her," sighed Theodore Nott as he lay in bed. Draco Malfoy was in his own bed, unable to fall asleep due to tonight's excitement. Blaise Zabini was already fast asleep – no doubt about that.

"Well, it _was_ her. And I feel different around her, like, _weird_ different," replied Draco softly, still able to recall her fresh fragrance of vanilla. He memorized that smell now. It was how _she_ smelled like. _She_ was Hermione Granger – the mudblood. He never dreamed that things would turn out like that.

"Just because she's not a pureblood?" queried Theodore quickly. He could hear some light breathing from Blaise's side of the room.

"Maybe. Usually I'm used to girls flocking to me. But this girl's got self-control," he admitted reluctantly. "I know she gave into my kisses before she knew it was me. But after she knew, _boy_, was she stuck. She just stood there while she let me touch her and then she just slapped me."

Theodore let out a soft whistle.

"Well, where the _fuck_ did you touch her? I'm sure I'd be slapped too if I stuck my finger into Lavender Brown," cringed Theodore. He was right. In fact, he'd probably end up having to fight with Ron Weasley. Oh well, he could take him.

"Mm, too true," replied Draco warmly. He relished the idea of the Granger girl slapping him again. Not that he was a masochist or anything, sometimes he felt like he was. But damn that Granger and her anger. It was too much of a turn on.

_Fuck_, now he couldn't even get to sleep because of her.

"It's kind of creepy that you have to experiment with her. But I'd seriously advise you not to. It's just rude and disrespectful."

"Theo, it doesn't matter. Please go grow yourself some balls. In case you haven't noticed, this gives me even _more_ of a reason to break her down. She rejects me and makes _me_ feel humiliated when I try to humiliate _her_."

"Well, there we go. We have someone that can resist your charm."

"Not for long, I'm going to make her fall in love with me."

"How in Merlin are you going to do _that_?"

"Just you wait and see, Theo."

_Let the games begin._


	28. Expectations

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! Also, I was doing some research and I realized that Hermione's older than Draco by at least eight/nine months, and older than Ron and Harry as well. Wow, I must be slow in finding this out…_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 28: EXPECTATIONS

"Ron, you're overreacting. Hermione's birthday's in three days. That gives you plenty of time to think of something!" sighed Lavender Brown, as she sat on her boyfriend's bed and crossed her legs as she folded her arms across her chest. Harry was on his bed with his eyes closed, probably contemplating.

"Well, _only_ in three days, Lavender. What are _you_ getting her?" asked Ron quickly. His tone of voice was loud and grouchy, which made one of Harry's eyes open in response. He spotted an angry Lavender and a nervous Ron, with his hair up and down in unattractive angles, and his eyes furrowed together as if he was writing one of Professor Snape's assignments.

"Okay, I mean. There's the weekend. You two aren't even _on_ speaking terms. I'm not getting her anything. I guess my birthday present for her would be not to kiss you in the public," giggled Lavender coyly, hoping that he would complain and grimace. She twisted a lock of her curly brown hair around her index finger and shot a look over at Harry, who lay as lifeless as lifeless could be. "Anyways Harry, I reckon you're not getting her anything then either?"

Harry shrugged in response.

"Come on, mate. We're her best friends. Even if we're down, it doesn't mean her birthday should be horrible," suggested Ron. He slipped on his sweater over his uniform and let Lavender fix his hair up with her wand. He smiled thanks and continued to look at Harry, who sighed.

"I know how it feels to have horrible birthdays, trust me. It's not fun," nodded Harry. He wasn't trying to dampen the mood but it was true. His birthdays in the past with Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Dudley Dursley had been, well, more than unpleasant. In fact, they treated it just like a special occasion; that they could insult him and hurt him more because he was "stronger" and "older".

"Sorry," murmured Lavender, blushing furiously.

"Yeah, so maybe we can fix up our friendship with her on her birthday?" queried Ron animatedly as Lavender shot him her fiercest scowl. She didn't like how enthusiastic Ron was when they were mentioning Hermione's birthday. _Please_, it wasn't like she was turning a hundred or anything.

"Not likely, Ron!" argued Lavender. "Let's not forget what she did with Luna and Harry."

Ron gritted his teeth for a while, not knowing what to say. Lavender was being rather hypocritical. Besides, Hermione wasn't the _only_ one who tried to rip people apart. In fact, Hermione _hadn't_. She'd never do such thing and stoop so low like the way Lavender Brown ripped her and Ron up. But that was business of the past. If Ron was going to let that happen and stick with Lavender, then he must not have been boyfriend material in the first place if he was so easily seduced.

"Whatever," he shot back. "She's still _my_ best friend. And I need to get her _something_ at least."

Lavender pouted.

"I think I might too. But the coming weekend isn't one for Hogsmeade so I don't see how a gift is possible in time," sighed Harry as he ran his fingers through his dark hair and closed his eyes again. He took a deep breath. "You know, Lavender's sort of right though. I wish I knew the full story. Maybe it can be a New Year's resolution or something."

"That's a little far away. What if she impersonates more people by then?" asked Lavender huskily. She pressed her skirt down over her thighs and cleared her throat as she looked at Ron with her innocent blue eyes. It took a while for her words to sink in.

"She's not like that. And it's not like she's the only one who hasn't been on Polyjuice before," countered Ron weakly. He stared over in Harry's direction in hopes that he could help stick up for his best friend. To be honest with himself, he didn't know what provoked him to protect Hermione. But all he knew was that they were still best friends and as long as they remained civil with each other, there were hopes of mending their relationship.

"Ron's right," agreed Harry.

-

Hermione Granger tried her hardest not to drift off in daydreams in class. Yes, she'd been at least five classes ahead but despite this, she'd still pay attention. Too bad every time she looked ahead of her, she'd be staring at the back of the blonde boy's head. She'd been tempted to take her hand out and just caress through his smooth, golden locks. Still, she _hated_ him for how rowdy and perverted he'd been last night. It was a total invasion of her privacy. She wanted to hex him.

"Miss Granger – do I have to repeat myself?" inquired an impatient Professor Slughorn who stood before her. He had his textbook in his hands and was dressed in a full violet ensemble with gold and green brass buttons. He stared down at her peculiarly.

What in Merlin was he talking about?

"No sir," she said hesitantly, her mind drifting back to class. _Right_, he'd been droning on for the past twenty minutes on the properties of sopophorous bean – _boring._ At that moment, she thought she heard Professor Slughorn mumble something about love under his breath.

Ernie Macmillan next to her nudged her. She felt her heart race as Draco Malfoy turned around and merely smirked at her, his eyes knowingly staring into her own. How much did he know? When Draco turned back around, she flushed pink as she watched Professor Slughorn pace back to the front of the classroom. Hermione sighed a sigh of relief. How embarrassing it would have been if Draco found out that she was thinking about him during class. But gross, he was a little slimy git! How could she have even thought about him?

"Are you alright, Hermione? Are you feeling dizzy again?" murmured Ernie in his deepest tone of voice. He was still a little nervous around her because of her little attitude stint about a week ago when they were to brew a potion together. She'd tried to be nicer with him and progress was moving along fine though it was clear that if he had to choose, he wouldn't be sitting beside Hermione right now.

"I'm fine, Ernie. I mean, it's been a week since I had to stay at the infirmary. Thanks for worrying though," responded Hermione smoothly. She smiled a lopsided smile and Ernie smiled back tensely.

"Okay, if you say so," shrugged Ernie.

Hermione sunk into her seat slightly when she saw Professor Slughorn walking right past her again. She looked around and spotted students flipping through their textbooks and taking down notes. Well, she must have looked downright stupid for just sitting there. Then again, she was _always_ ahead so it didn't exactly matter. She continued to stare at the blonde head before her before Ernie jabbed her in the shoulder with his wand.

"Ow!" she yelped. A couple of heads turned her way though it disturbed her when a certain blonde hadn't bothered to turn around. It was like a game of cat and mouse and Draco was the bored mouse hiding from the cat who was trying to get his attention. _Lame_.

"_Oi_, Hermione. We're taking down notes!" whispered Ernie, without mumbling an apology.

"Ernie, it's fine. I'm ahead of everyone, remember?" she asked as breezily as possible.

Ernie made a face and continued to scribble things down on his parchment. For a moment, Hermione blinked and stupidly sat there. Normally she would have gone through her _own_ textbook trying to get ahead. But today, perhaps she'd give herself a break. Her tablemate then turned to his side and looked at her again – catching her staring ahead at Draco. His eyebrows rose.

"Hermione, if you're thinking of brewing another Polyjuice Potion to be Pa –"

"_No _way, I would never want to be her!"

Draco twitched slightly at this topic. Hmm, was Ernie trying to refer to Pansy Parkinson? This boy was clearly out of the loop if he didn't even know that they'd broken up.

"But you're staring at Malfoy," murmured Ernie hesitantly. As if he wasn't loud enough! Draco was right in front of Hermione and Ernie. He'd heard every single word and smirked to himself while he pretended to stare down at his textbook. What a naïve little girl, he thought. Perhaps his experiment would be succeeding soon. Too bad there was this inaudible nagging at the back of his mind...

"Yes, because he's right in front of me. Am I supposed to look up at the ceiling? Or the wall?" she snapped back huskily in an attempted hushed tone of voice. Ernie seemed taken aback by her rudeness at this point.

"Well, sorry then," mumbled Ernie, clearly not meaning it.

"No, I'm sorry," she muttered under her breath. What was Draco _doing_ to her?

-

"Granger, you've been putting up a whole _lot_ of attitude with Macmillan," smirked Draco Malfoy smugly as he sauntered up to Hermione Granger, who was leaning against the wall and staring outside the window while waiting for her next class to start. She turned to Draco with a soft, wanting expression that immediately hardened up to something angry. He then opened his perfect lips again. "You know, I liked you a lot better when you were silent and let me do _this_."

His hand reached out to caress her face and she swatted it away, glancing around nervously. Nobody was looking there way though it wasn't as if she'd bother to let him harass and humiliate her again. It'd been humiliating enough the first time and though he was a total git, she had to keep convincing herself that she _hated_ him.

"Not _here_, Malfoy," she sputtered, trying to regain her composure after being flustered. She then opened her mouth again. "And not _ever_. I'm giving him attitude because he was annoying me today. _And_ because I didn't get much sleep."

Draco smirked.

"Cute, you stayed up thinking about me," he teased, almost flirtatiously. He tried to conceal a blush in his cheeks because that's exactly what he did – thought about _her_ in the most awkward sense. He knew that she did the same thing and it actually confused her.

"In your _dreams_, Malfoy," she hissed. She backed away and took wobbly steps away from him until she turned around to the sound of his voice. Her blood ran cold and her face was ashen with humiliation as he said this.

"One day I'll make those dreams come true. Just you wait…mudblood," he sneered. He hadn't meant to add in the "mudblood" part but it just seemed like a proper thing to do. Besides, just because he was feeling confused about Hermione and that there was an experiment going on, it didn't mean that he wasn't allowed to tease her.

But what did those words mean? Did he actually well, dream? Or was it just a joke? Maybe just the way the handsome boy rolled in with the flirts.


	29. Paths

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 29: PATHS

"Oh come on, Luna. Boyfriends _expect_ you to kiss them," giggled Ginny Weasley. She stood alongside Luna Lovegood outside the Great Hall and tried to plaster her hugest smile across her pretty face. The guilt sometimes would poke at her when the two of them ever crossed the topic of a certain Potter boy.

"But Seamus isn't my boyfriend. We're just going out, that's all," sighed Luna halfheartedly. Her voice was airy and sweet, and her big blue eyes grew rounder than ever when Hermione walked past them without even acknowledging their existence. Well, she shot a friendly glance towards the both of them, but she was hesitant – as if she expected them not to return the gesture.

"Ah, that's what they all say," muttered Ginny. She looked around nervously. She then turned back to Luna. "But when the boys go around saying you're his girlfriend, it either gets humiliating for _him_ when you deny it, or really hard for you to accept it when he says you are. Well, I guess that's only if you _don't_ feel too much for him."

Luna sighed. She wasn't really keen on having this chat about relationships. It wasn't as if any of Ginny's relationships turned out right. But the problem was that Luna trusted Ginny a _lot_. Sure, Luna and Cho Chang were closer now and occasionally conversed when Cho's best friend Marietta wasn't around. But other than that, it was difficult to find someone to talk to especially since talking to Hermione wasn't the best thing to do at the moment.

"So Ginny, you're saying I should just be with Seamus?"

"Essentially – unless you're still miffed about Harry…"

"I don't know. We haven't exactly –"

"Then go with Seamus."

"Bu –"

"_Seamus_, there you are! Luna _insisted_ that she wait for you before heading in."

Seamus Finnigan smiled cutely as he gave Luna an unsure hug. She hugged right back, her cheeks growing pink as Ginny shot her a look. Perhaps Seamus _would_ be boyfriend material, thought Luna. But maybe not – something inside of her still told her that she had feelings for Harry. But Seamus looked so happy with her and she sort of liked Seamus a bit as well. But _hmph_, Harry hadn't even talked to her after the Masked Ball so why should she have waited for _him_ if someone else was already waiting for her?

"Hi Luna, hi Ginny," he said softly, as he brushed his arm against Luna's, making her blush even more. Ginny smiled at him, knowing that it was all falseness that was perching the corners of her lips up. She kind of felt bad for pushing Luna towards Seamus. But as long as she was out of the way, it'd make the path towards Harry a little clearer. It was like killing two birds with one stone! Luna and Seamus would be happy and Ginny and Harry would be together. It was like that, just as planned. Too bad there was still the conflict about the Polyjuice Potion incident…

"Hey Ginny, we should go in," beamed Luna, tossing her straggly blonde hair over her shoulder. She had her arm consciously linked with Seamus', who just flushed and stood there stupidly. He was a nice fellow, perhaps a little awkward at times, but who wasn't? Ginny felt that they were really good together; maybe making the school's most awkward couple but nonetheless loveable if they wanted it to be so.

"Y-yeah," stuttered Ginny momentarily as she stared around the entrance to the Great Hall, her eyes scanning the pool of students for Harry Potter. He wasn't there – _her_ handsome boy. _She wished_. Her heart sank as she followed the lovebirds through the entrance, feeling stupid that Seamus and Luna had each other but Ginny was just all by her lonesome.

"Come on, Ginny! What are you looking at?" queried Seamus with a puzzled expression.

"N-nothing, let's just go in…" murmured Ginny, her cheeks refusing to flush red.

-

"How's progress?" queried Blaise Zabini with the haughtiest expression on his face as he ran his finger over the rim of his goblet.

"Fine," responded Draco Malfoy flatly. He felt a prickly glare from Theodore Nott, beside him.

"So she knows now, huh?" drawled Blaise smoothly, not caring if his words attracted the attention of his fellow Slytherin or not.

In fact, nobody really eavesdropped except for Pansy Parkinson, who was so obviously staying silent so she could hear their voices a couple seats down. It was difficult, from the clanging of utensils and chewing of food, as well as roars of laughter and chattering amongst the students.

"Yes."

"You've got her wrapped around your finger then, huh?"

"No."

"Speaking in monosyllables today, Draco?"

"No."

Theodore couldn't help but smirk at this conversation.

"Okay Blaise, I'm pretty sure he's tired out from last night," said Theodore kindly.

"You guys had some excitement last night?" continued Blaise, completely twisting Theodore's words. He thought he noticed Theodore mutter something under his breath but he couldn't care less at this moment. There wasn't much to talk about and Draco's escapade clearly thrilled him, as lame as that may have sounded.

"Nah, but Weasley must've tortured her," snickered Draco. He licked his lips for a moment.

"Wow, it might explain her hissy fits then," smirked Blaise.

_Gits_.

-

Harry grimaced as he spotted Luna and Seamus exiting the Great Hall after lunch. He felt like pins had just pricked at him. He bit his lip as he noticed they were wreathed in smiles and Luna was giggling at something Seamus was saying. He liked Seamus and they were good friends. Even before Seamus started dating Luna, he had asked Harry if it was fine with him and well, what could he say? His friend cared for their friendship and that actually made Harry feel relieved that he thought like this. Instinctively, Harry had to cast himself aside for Seamus before thinking of what to say. But as the days passed, time dwindled down and Luna and Seamus would probably only get even closer from then on. It was also possible that Luna would never get that explanation from Harry about the incident at the ball.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," whispered Ginny as she placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. Anyone could have noticed the boy perched against the corner of the hall, staring at Seamus and Luna with sad eyes. Of course, Harry Potter was the wonder boy and _had_ to keep up his strong and positive persona. But _geez_, just because he was strong, it didn't mean he was emotionless.

"Hmm well, I suppose it was for the best. Inevitable, correct?" asked Harry, trying to muster a reassuring smile for Ginny's sake. All he received was an eye roll and a sigh.

"Save it, Harry. You're only going to make it hurt more than it should," winced Ginny, a little miffed at the fact that Harry was lying to her. It fazed her a bit, but when she thought about it, many people hid their feelings too and if Harry could open up to her, then it was obviously saying something about their relationship that she tried to cling onto.

"Sorry for having a heart, Ginny," he retorted, feeling an instant stab of remorse as these words passed through his lips. He looked at the saddened Ginny. "Sorry about that."

The redhead merely regained her composure and tried to ignore the passing students that swept past them.

"It's fine," she lied, brushing it off breezily. "And I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have judged you like that."

She felt her cheeks flush. She let this feeling fill her for a moment, knowing that it would place her in a more vulnerable position. But perhaps Harry would notice this and be her knight. To her disappointment, he hadn't gotten on one knee and asked her to ride his white horse with him. Instead, he merely stood there with a perplexed expression on his face.

"That's okay," he responded. He tried to grin at her. "Thanks Ginny, for everything."

He stepped forward and gave her a tight hug, in which she was surprised to receive herself. She smiled to herself shortly afterwards when she curled her cheek against his neck, feeling part of his collar and his smooth skin caress her own. Her own arms hesitantly wrapped around Harry's torso in a certain friendliness that had a hint of affection as well. It was something different that she couldn't explain, but only something she could feel and execute. She felt safer like this and to her dismay, much guiltier than before. If those weren't bad feelings to feel, then Ginny didn't know what was. Hmm, Cruciatus, perhaps? She tried to shake that thought out of her head and just live in the moment as she felt his warm hands brush against the small of her back.

She wished that it would last forever.

But that sickly guilty feeling rushed back into her veins as she opened her eyes and spotted Hermione Granger shaking her head in the background of the crowd of students that walked by. Harry's back was to Hermione luckily. Nonetheless, even with all the luck that enveloped her, all Ginny was thinking of now was her relationship with Hermione, Luna and Harry and the misery that now encircled her. Guilt was physically embracing her and slowly frying her wires.


	30. Trails

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Yay, 100 reviews! Thanks for your continued support and reviews! Some mature-ish content here._

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 30: TRAILS

Hermione Granger sighed to herself as she stood on tipped toes in a futile attempt to reach up for a giant textbook. Her hands miserably missed the dusty green book. Flustered and slightly annoyed, she pulled out her wand instinctively, while turning around to make sure that the Hogwarts librarian Madam Pince wasn't watching. She was like a hawk, well, more like a vulture anyways. She surely had the shriveled, malnourished look going on for her, with her pointed nose and all. She spent more of her time policing over the students than being helpful and five minutes ago, she nearly chewed off a first year's head for getting a blot of ink on a book.

"Granger, we wouldn't want the old hag to think you're casting a spell on the _precious_ books," purred a silky voice, with a menacing undertone. Hermione turned around, knowing exactly who was calling her. _Malfoy_. She tried not to stare into his silvery eyes as she rolled her own brown eyes and quickly shoved her wand back into her pocket. Fine, she was going to reach up for the book. She stood on her toes once again and balanced on one foot while at the corner of her eye, she could make out a handsome blonde boy scanning her every move.

Why was the book so high up?

As she backed down and decided to "admit defeat", in a certain sense, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her body. She instantly tensed up and flushed red as they eased her up in the air for a bit, a pair of hands was resting over her hip and a thumb grazing over her kilt. What the hell? She was tempted to look down and slap the boy but she refrained herself from doing so. She'd get the book and then slam it over his head. She reached up greedily to grab at the green book and felt the weight against her chest as it nearly crushed her. Mechanically, she leaped out of Draco's arms.

"What in bloody Merlin, Malfoy?" she croaked. She tried not to be too loud. They'd made a bit of noise but Madam Pince hadn't come to check on them, thankfully. "Don't touch me!"

She clutched the book to her chest as she backed up against a more secluded area of books, sticking her hand into her pocket and fiddling for her wand. She tried to grip for it, but felt nothing. Her eyebrows knit together as she put the book down and felt around for her wand, looking around with a pained expression until she heard a light, mocking laugh. She sighed and stared ahead, watching Draco pick up _her_ wand from the floor. Her jaw dropped.

"My wand!" she gasped, walking up to him with the nastiest expression on her face.

"Careful, mudblood, you're not as…pretty when you're angry," he muttered. Did he just call her _pretty_? He tried to shrug off a shudder. He was face to face with her, and he held the wand in his hand, examining it lightly with both hands, grazing his fingers over the length of the wand. He smirked to himself as each move provoked Hermione in the most amusing manner.

"G-give it back, you don't want my mudblood germs," she demanded coldly. Her eyebrows were knit together as her lips pursed. She only received a mocking grin in response. She watched Draco raise the wand up in the air, spinning it around; as if this was another muggle high school where the short nerd would jump up in hope of reaching his knapsack but always fail. Hermione saw his plan. There was no way _her_ body was going to bounce against his when she jumped. Merely standing there with crossed arms, she tried to look calm and cool, but her eyes said otherwise.

"I've already been bitten by the mudblood bug. Besides, I don't see why you'd be so annoyed at me touching you. I mean, before you knew it was me, you were so easy," he quipped. He dropped his arm to the front of Hermione's face and trailed it down her jaw as she blinked, moving across lightly, careful not to leave a mark. He could feel her blush radiating warmth around the two of them. His plan was working, and he was having fun annoying her as well. He smirked as the tip of the wand touched Hermione's lips, just cushioned there.

"Sod off!" she said, through gritted teeth. She was trying her hardest to be as quiet as she could while making herself heard at the same time. It was difficult. She felt the tip of the wand trail down her neck and slowly down her neck. She felt a burning sensation tingle as goose bumps formed all over her body. Her wand was now pressed against the second button of her shirt that was actually the first button to be buttoned on her body. A disgusting sneer was all over Draco's face.

"What if I don't?" he queried smoothly.

Hermione shook her head and raised her hand and let it fly against Draco's face, in which she'd missed by about an inch as his impossibly capable hands grabbed at her wrist, forcing it behind her back as he watched the pretty girl grimace in pain. Her back was pressed against Draco's torso. She could almost feel his disgusting heartbeats against her. It was almost as disgusting how Madam Pince wasn't here to save her. However, it would have been even more humiliating than it already was if she came to spot two house rivals tangled up with each other.

"So much for that, mudblood."

"Shut up!"

"Make me."

She stomped on his foot as she raised her knee up, causing him to whimper out as he bit his lip.

"What the fuck, you little mudblood? I suppose you think that _really_ must have shut me up," he cringed, clenching the girl's wand tighter in her hand. His foot was still in pain and his grip had surely weakened on the girl's wrist so she was able to break free.

"You _will_ shut up about this because it's downright humiliating. Stop being such a bully!" she spat, backing off slightly as she was pressed against a shelf. She tried her hardest not to burst out in tears because of this. She was _not_ going to cry. He'd tormented her for years! This was no different than before."Maybe in the land of the mudbloods, Granger. But here, that doesn't work," he hissed threateningly. He walked towards her slowly, looming over her with his piercing silvery gaze. The poor girl tried her hardest not to look away but she couldn't. It was almost like hypnosis. His eyes scanned her face again – filled with fear, but filled with longing at the same time. Longing for her wand – no doubt, he thought. The wildest idea just flickered through his mind.

"What the fu –"

"Shh…"

"Stop it, you bastard!"

Her voice was hot and breathy as she felt the tip of her wand prod against her soaking spot in between her thighs. Her lips parted as she felt Draco's fingers trail up the back of her thighs, over the fringes of her skirt. Fuck, what was up with this? Why was he doing this to her? It was torturous – not only because it was humiliating, but because it was so humiliating it almost felt good.

"If you like something, you'll keep doing it and going for it," he purred in her ear.

She felt herself nod, but it was her body telling her to nod, without consulting her brain first. Surely, her brain would have said no. A lump of guilt formed in her throat. So now Draco didn't _only_ call her names, but even got her frustrated and lustful as well. That miserable git, she thought. He probably didn't get enough action so he had to go around annoying other girls.

"You're horrible.

"I know I am."

-

Lavender Brown watched on as her boyfriend grumbled on the warm, red couch in the Gryffindor common room. She placed a hand on his knee and patted him lightly. He was being _way_ too worked up over Hermione's birthday. It wasn't like she deserved a gift anyways, she thought. She'd caused enough trouble this year and perhaps for Christmas, if she decided to improve, she'd consider getting the girl something.

"Ron, I'm going to talk to the others if you ignore me," complained Lavender with bitterness in her voice. She sighed when she waited for about twenty seconds, receiving no more than a shrug. "Fine. You've already ditched Quidditch practice so you could mope and feel sorry for yourself."

She honestly hadn't meant to sound rude. But she just couldn't get through his thick skull right now and most of the time didn't really know what he was thinking when he was so silent. It was why she tried to talk to him but it was evident that she couldn't get much out. She stood up without saying goodbye and strode over to Cormac McLaggen, who was chatting with a short and shapely blonde girl, who shot Lavender daggers when she interrupted their conversation. The blonde girl eventually walked away, mumbling something about Lavender under her throaty breath.

"That little minx," cursed the blonde girl, passing by an equally flustered brunette that just came through the entrance of the common room. They nearly crashed into each other and the blonde girl merely turned her head away after mumbling an apology, sinking into a seat on the far end of the room. All around was the smell of warm fire and sweet honey. Hermione sighed as she ran her fingers through her wavy brown hair, still a little miffed at Draco Malfoy. Why did he do that to her? He was just pissing her off because he knew he could.

Hermione sauntered over before the warm fire, watching the flames flicker with the wood and bathe the room in a balmy light. About a seat down the couch was Ron Weasley. She failed to acknowledge or even notice his presence. She sat down and let the warm fabric of the touch melt her skin. She closed her eyes and sighed, trying to relax after the embarrassing scene with Draco in the library. She was thankful and lucky that Madam Pince hadn't caught her though at the same time, she may have been equally as thankful if she kicked Draco out before being able to pester her like that. The worst part was that she felt shivers of pleasure shoot up her navel when he touched her and it _killed_ her because she was supposed to hate him.

"'Mione?" asked a soft and low voice. The voice came from her left.

"Ronald," sighed Hermione.

She failed to notice his disappointment in the fact that she called him "Ronald" instead of "Ron".

"How's it been?" he asked her, as if they were distant friends that hadn't seen each other in ages – well whatever, it _felt_ like ages. And that was all that truly mattered. Ron licked his dry lips for a moment, self-consciously aware of the fact that his lips were slightly chapped.

"Fine, you?" she replied dryly. She wasn't in the mood to make a conversation but it may have been better than feeling freaked out over Draco. She was feeling lightheaded as the too fond memory of him staring at her with his silvery eyes was replaying in her mind.

"Fine," he lied.

Hermione turned around slightly to spot Cormac and Lavender chatting around casually while looking rather flirtatious. Hmm, well, that was probably what happened when you placed two flirtatious people together. She noticed Cormac place a hand on Lavender's shoulder, as if it was yet another replay of what happened between her and Ron. She tried to smirk, but noticed the disturbed expression on Ron's face.

"Did you and Lavender have a row?" she asked quietly.

She was curious to know because she thought that him and Lavender were always quite intimate with each other. They were kissing and making out and even tugged at each other's clothes when they were in each other's bedrooms _and_ in the bathrooms. Hermione knew that well enough. She was also tempted to move over a seat right next to Ron since he seemed pissed off but then she wondered what the others would think and what Lavender _and_ Ron would think. Besides, Hermione was too good to play the third wheel.

"Not really. She's just annoyed that I'm zoning out."

"If you don't mind me asking, Ronal –"

"Call me _Ron_, 'Mione."

"Fine, _Ron_, there's no need to be touchy about it. I was just going to ask you what was wrong."

"Nothing's wrong! Will you just stop disturbing me? I want to be alone!"

Hermione blinked twice and felt a wave of humiliation wash all over her. She should have just gone to bed and skip dinner, she thought. What was she thinking when she decided to go to the common room to chill? Her eyes squinted at Ron, who just stared back at her with an equally angered expression on his face. Nobody was watching though anyone in the room could have sworn that the temperature went up by a couple of degrees; and those extra degrees weren't from the fireplace.

"Okay, _Ronald_," she murmured with mild stuttering. "You can be alone."

As soon as the flurry of brown hair stormed out of the room with her face to the ground, Ron sunk deeper into his seat, feeling numb.


	31. Links

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 31: LINKS

"Seamus, thank you for this wonderful night," blushed Luna Lovegood, standing closer to the equally red boy as they stood to the side of a staircase. There were faint mumblings that echoed around them but it was clear that they were alone – just the two of them.

Tonight, Luna looked positively dazzling with her glossy lips and pretty blue eyes. Cho had helped her out with thinking of spells to bring out the best of her features and it clearly worked because Seamus was unable to take his eyes off of her for their whole night. Walking around the school must not have been _that_ romantic. However, they chatted about many things and realized well, they didn't really have that much in common yet they were a little more attracted to one another though evidently, Seamus liked Luna more than she liked him. The image and voice of Harry at the back of Luna's mind was becoming more subdued.

"No, thank _you_," grinned Seamus, running his fingers through his dark hair as he pecked Luna's cheek, which made her turn uncontrollably red. She placed a lock of her disheveled blonde hair behind an ear to reveal today's interesting choice of earrings – a baby pink spoon. On the other ear was a dangling baby pink fork. Her interesting choice of earrings matched a more cooled down outfit – a dull pink blouse over a nice gray skirt that belonged to Cho.

"I think you should let me go now, Seamus. I'll be fine on my own, honest," she grinned, giving Seamus a smouldering smile. Seamus looked a little disappointed. Luna wasn't trying to kill the moment or anything but she just said what came to her mind. "You followed me all the way up here and I really appreciate it but it's getting late and you should get to sleep."

After careful contemplating, Seamus reluctantly agreed. It was true; he'd been such a gentleman tonight that it made Luna feel a little guilty. She kissed his cheek, her own lips roaming near the corner of his. His hand was on her hip though she didn't seem to mind.

"Goodnight," she whispered.

"Sweet dreams," he chimed.

As she turned around after watching Seamus disappear down the stairs, the echoing of his quick trots seemed to disappear as well. And making her way up to the door of her common room with a silly smile plastered over her pretty face, she spotted her friend Cho Chang with an ecstatic grin on her face as if to ask for the details of Luna's evening with Seamus.

-

Hermione Granger awoke from the pecking of an owl from the window nearby. She groaned as she reluctantly pulled out from under the covers. The Saturday morning light blinded her as the sun's rays filtered through the window. Rubbing her eyes and placing some stray strands of hair behind her ear, she opened the window and let the owl deliver a rolled up piece of parchment. Why now? She sighed as she clumsily untied the brown string that held the parchment in place, watching it drop to the floor effortlessly in silence.

_Granger,  
Meet me at 11:59 tomorrow night at the Astronomy Tower. I'll be waiting for you until you show up._

_- Malfoy_

What was up the Slytherin's sleeves? Hermione sighed as she shoved the letter in a secret place – maybe in her journal. Nobody ever looked through there though she recalled the time her roommates Parvati and Lavender thought it'd be funny to read aloud to the entire common room about Hermione's thoughts on Viktor Krum, the handsome Bulgarian Quidditch heartthrob from Durmstang. Apparently to her, he was "so handsome and cute" and "his accent could melt any girl's heart into a big puddle of bloody goop". That had been quite a while ago and they were forgiven although Hermione was always flooded with questions. It had surely pissed Ron off but it didn't matter now.

She sighed as she hugged herself and fell back to sleep – though it hadn't been remotely blissful since she was wondering what Draco's intentions were. If he was going to humiliate her again, then she would indeed hex his hands off!

-

"What do you want, Malfoy?" frowned Hermione as she sat in the Gryffindor box by the Quidditch field. She sat there watching the Gryffindor team practice for the big match tomorrow. They were pretty good, actually and for the first time, Hermione noticed how sculpted Harry's derriere was.

Draco smirked.

"Actually, I was just analyzing the opponents and the Slytherin team will clobber them," replied Draco haughtily, shaking his head as he spotted a very distraught looking Ron Weasley. He hadn't noticed the handsome blonde boy watching them, though he was sure that Hermione was watching. She'd skipped breakfast since she wasn't in the mood to eat, her mind only on the letter that Draco sent to her earlier.

"Boys will be boys," sighed Hermione.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean, Granger?" queried Draco, his eyes narrowing.

"Nothing," she replied.

"You received my owl, correct?" asked Draco, quickly changing the topic before they'd get into a disagreement. He placed his hand on her knee and ran his thumb over the side. Hermione flushed pink, answering his question wordlessly. "Good, then I expect you to be there – _sharp_."

Hermione rolled her eyes and missed the look Draco gave her. Why did boys always think they could exert their charm, confidence and power over the girls? They were not little tools or toys. They were human beings just like them and right now, Hermione felt like some sort of maid or slave that was _forced_ to meet someone. In fact, the letter wasn't even a request, it was a command and that pissed her off even more. Who did the slimy git think he was to push her around like that?

Well, he was definitely handsome. She'd give him that!

"Why do boys think they can be –"

Hermione turned over to the boy that was once beside her. He was gone. The handsome blonde boy with piercing gray eyes was gone. His hand on her knee – gone. Just _disappeared_. She heard no footsteps or running or even rustling. How peculiar. Perhaps that's how boys would be. One day they'd be with you and the next day, you'd be history. Should Hermione have bothered to meet him? He said he would be waiting until she showed up. If she didn't show up, then he'd be there the whole night. That would certainly teach him a lesson; though at the back of Hermione's mind, she wanted to know what the meeting was about and why he'd requested a meeting at 11:59.

"Err…'Mione, why are you talking to yourself?" asked Harry quickly as he flew over to her. The sun hit his face just right so that his scar was glistening. Yuck, sweat. His face was glowing pink and his breathing was uneven.

"I wasn't," she snapped back quickly. "Why aren't you practicing?"

Was Draco even there the whole time? She still felt his hand on her knee. No, he must have been there. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to think of what really happened. Maybe he just left. Maybe that's how the snake moved, slithering away.

"Earth to Hermione!"

"Umm sorry, Harry. What were we discussing again?"

"Why I wasn't practicing. We've got a five minute break. Will you watch us tomorrow?"

Hermione nodded and Harry smiled at her briefly, trying to fly back and perhaps do a couple of laps around the field. The brunette sighed and her memories of the Masked Ball incident flooded back into her mind. That little redhead would _have_ to tell Harry eventually. There was no way that Hermione could keep being the evil one. People already stared at her weirdly and she, Ron and Harry were no longer the Golden Trio. Heck, Ron yelled at her the other day and Lavender wasn't exactly the friendliest. Her friendship with Ginny was clearly strained and to top it all off, there was a handsome Slytherin boy that made things even more confusing.

She felt as if nobody even believed her. Since then, people looked at her differently. They always thought that she used her brains and magical gift of knowledge for good. Even Professor Dumbledore rarely greeted her in the halls though it didn't matter because she rarely saw him to begin with. Luna had been hesitant to speak with her and honestly, Hermione didn't blame her because it wasn't like Hermione was keen on speaking with Lavender either. It was horrible how nobody looked at Lavender like she was a bloody minx but looked at Hermione like she was the next man eater at Hogwarts.

Feeling down, she stared across the green field where the air around her smelled like freshly cut grass. The sun was like a diamond in the sky that shone over Hogwarts like a safe barrier from the horrors of the world. Too bad life didn't work like that. She sighed as she watched the fit boys fly around the field once more, about to engage in the second part of their practice. Part of her wanted them to win, but the other part of her didn't. If they were going to celebrate and be looked up to like heroes, then in comparison, Hermione would look like a miserable hag that tried to strip everyone of their happiness and good cheer.


	32. Stares

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! This is for __**jackiieee**__! Happy birthday! (Not sure if it's today or tomorrow, but still, happy birthday!) Sorry if everything's dragging on. I've always been horrible at making things a little "faster". Though the recent chapters I've written seem a little more sped up…you'll see them soon!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 32: STARES

Ginny Weasley sat alongside Harry Potter, across from Lavender Brown, Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom. A few seats down were Seamus Finnigan and Luna Lovegood, who was clearly avoiding Harry's gaze which was fine by him because he was trying to avoid her as well. They hadn't patched things up and lately, Ginny had been making Luna feel so uncomfortable by draping herself over Harry. It was as if she was purposely trying to take advantage of the situation. Since Luna and Seamus were unofficially together, though technically, "seeing each other", it would have been unwise for Luna to continue with her feelings for Harry if she wanted a healthy relationship with Seamus. Ginny had it all planned, that redhead! Well, not _totally_ planned because some things had just perfectly fallen in place for her.

"You guys will definitely win tomorrow's match," began Ginny, who for a fleeting second, pressed her thigh against Harry's, causing him to squirm and move over slightly with twin blushes on either cheeks. She tried to sneak a glance at him though Luna was so obviously watching her moves simultaneously trying to avoid Harry's gaze. It was difficult, really.

"You will," smiled Seamus. Luna smiled as well.

"How was practice?" asked Neville, who sat up straight in his seat and took a sip of his tea.

"Fine; Hermione watched us this morning," responded Ron quickly.

Lavender blinked twice. Why did her boyfriend notice _her_ watching? It was as if all he ever thought about was Hermione. Heck, if he liked her so much and she was on his mind so much, then he should've just broken up with Lavender! Besides, it wasn't as if Hermione was seeing anyone at the moment, thought Lavender silently as she placed a hand on Ron's arm affectionately. He mechanically placed his own hand on top of hers.

"What's that have to do with anything?" interjected Lavender.

"Just saying," he responded flatly.

"She'll be watching us. Her birthday will be on Monday and I've got my gift ready," smirked Harry. He shot Ron a worried look because he knew that Ron was having trouble finding a gift for her. It was evident that Lavender, however, would not be so generous. He wondered if Ginny would be getting her anything this year and well, knew that Seamus and Luna wouldn't be emptying galleons this weekend either.

"What is it?" queried Ginny.

"Just a neat notebook I happened to carry around. Too bad this weekend wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend," he sighed, wondering to himself what Luna and Seamus would be doing if it _was_ one. It was depressing, really. Luna and Harry clearly still had feelings for each other yet they were too afraid to admit it after the awful incident. Luna still wanted answers and Harry didn't know what to say. Obviously, the time for them to reconcile had been long gone.

"I don't have anything for her yet though I've got _tons_ of clothing – brand new!" exclaimed Ginny.

Lavender winced at the bragging girl and turned her attention to Ron for a moment, trying to divert his mind from the conversation, maybe with some tingling touches and bodily contact from under the table. Apparently, it hadn't been working. Luna stared at the two of them momentarily, curious if this was what she was supposed to do with Seamus. He'd never pressured her into anything yet and it wasn't as if they were officially an item! Perhaps she'd figure it all out when he asked her to be his girlfriend. But even then, she wondered what she'd say.

"Because you grew out of your old clothes, Gin. Not my fault you're getting so fa –"

"Ugh! Sod off, Ron! I'll have you know that I'm just _maturing_."

Ginny and Ron both blushed at this, clearly noticing which parts of her body had matured and grown more womanly. Lavender tried to place a smile on her face while Luna flushed pink with embarrassment to be involved in this conversation. She hadn't exactly _participated_ in it though, however. For a moment she felt Harry's gaze on her, willing her to stare into his beautiful, curious eyes. It was a chance from the way he usually cowered or hid his face. Yes, even the wonder boy had days when he couldn't meet people's gazes. In this case, it'd been a good week or so in which he couldn't meet someone's gaze properly – _Luna_.

"Well, I think I'll go and finish my work," murmured Luna, her mysterious airy voice coating the thick atmosphere of laughter, embarrassment and general mirth. "I'm quite busy."

Seamus grinned at her and said, "Need me to walk you back?"

"No," she responded quickly, then giving him an apologetic look and softening her voice. "That won't be necessary, but thank you."

With a flushed face, unable to meet Harry or Ginny's gaze, she stood up and walked off, feeling her heart hammer against her ribs. She tried to ignore that part of her brain that displayed an image of a saddened Seamus, the boy that cared for her; the boy that she cared for. But right now, she wasn't up for lunch with her friends. As she continued to walk through the Great Hall, her mind on Seamus and Harry, she nudged her shoulder into a pretty brunette who was clearly as confused as she is.

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

"Hermione?"

"Hey Luna."

Luna was the first to notice Hermione, who was being quite civil as civil went. She just wanted the whole situation to be over! But no, Ginny was stubborn and wouldn't admit her wrongs and faults. Hermione Granger was _not_ a boyfriend stealing maniac like Lavender Brown who was off laughing with Cormac McLaggen while dating Ron at the same time. She didn't know if her accusations would have been good but perhaps she was just jealous that Lavender was getting double the action than she was. Well, double the action if Draco Malfoy didn't count. And speaking of him, his silvery gaze was dead center on Hermione. She felt it. It felt like fire burning into her skin in which she couldn't stare back at without melting on the spot.

"Well, goodbye," murmured Luna. Hermione grinned at her and nodded her head while hearing short shuffling steps gradually disappear in the distance. She huffed and sighed. How awkward things had become.

-

Hermione tried her hardest not to fall asleep in the library. She was reading a giant textbook for her Astronomy class so that she wouldn't mix up her constellations again. She decided that if she knew her stuff well, she wouldn't make stupid mistakes when it came to labeling. Then again, if she'd gotten more sleep, then such a problem wouldn't arise in the first place. Still, Hermione did not want to take that risk and therefore, she cooped herself up in the library's quieter corners and inhaled the scent of the fresh mahogany air and skimmed the book until the words jumbled up together.

"Hermione, there you are! I've been looking for you," sighed the voice of a flustered Ginny Weasley. With hooded eyes, Hermione immediately turned over to Ginny, with a cold stare – which would have been just as cold as if it'd been Harry or Ron. She found it difficult to concentrate when those around her interrupted her from her thoughts. It was precisely why she picked a quieter place in the library so she could prevent this!

"What for?" was Hermione's sour reply.

"To talk to you about our little situation here," responded Ginny hotly.

Hermione hated the way Ginny felt as if she had the upper hand here. She just wand to remind the girl that she _wasn't_ the boyfriend stealer. But she hated this. She _promised_ her. She didn't want to be a backstabbing, cheating friend either but it wasn't as if Ginny wasn't a backstabber either; backstabbing Hermione and Luna like that, and even deceiving Harry and those around her.

"What's there to say? I think I've been permanently ousted."

"No, you haven't! They'll accept you if you apologize."

"For _what_, Gin? I haven't done a thing wrong!"

"You stole the pot –"

"_Because_ you told me to. If I'd known this would happen, I would have never done this!"

"Shut up and let me explain!"

With a short sigh, Hermione nodded and crossed her legs, careful not to ruin the fabric of her fitted gray pants. She waited and looked up at Ginny expectantly, as if she were to admit her faults and decide to tell everyone the truth. Too bad the truth was _cold_.

"The truth is, I don't intend on telling them anytime soon."

Well, _that_ surely felt like a slap. Why couldn't she just _slap_ Hermione instead of telling her that dreaded piece of information? Hermione bit her tongue and thought she tasted blood for a moment. Why was Ginny doing this to her? She was her closest female friend!

"Anytime _soon_, huh?"

"In fact, not _ever_."

"Hmm, so much for a birthday present then. I was expecting something."

She'd said that louder than she thought. Of course she wasn't supposed to expect a birthday present this year based on her behaviour! She sighed and ran her fingers through her glossy wavy brown locks and tried to ingest all that was happening. Ginny lied. Ginny was selfish. Ginny wasn't even a true friend.

"And you'll _get_ something, it's a surprise!"

"Why do I get the feeling it won't be very good?"

"Oh, it will be…"

With a strange glint in the redhead's eyes, she disappeared, leaving Hermione totally confused and not in the mood to study. Right, well, Ginny wasn't going to tell everyone the truth so Hermione figured that the gift was probably something else. Just what? That was the question. Hmph!

-

Draco Malfoy curled his fingers into a fist as he watched his roommate Blaise Zabini so seductively take advantage of a fourth year. Lucky girl. Draco wasn't getting any of this because of the Granger girl. Well, at least he could play things out his way until Christmas when she'd be shagging him. Nobody rejected him, thought Draco slyly. It was only _him_ that rejected others. And speaking of rejection, he'd shoved away at least six annoying little Slytherin girls in the past few days who wanted nothing more than a good shag. Though a harmless shag wouldn't have harmed anyone, he didn't feel as if it would've been the best idea or in his best interest to do this. Besides, Hermione looked positively scrumptious even though it killed him to admit it most of the time.

"If you watch on so jealously, you should join," murmured Blaise quickly as he swiftly removed the fourth year's sweater. Draco looked away for a moment, shaking his head and turning his attention to his other handsome roommate, Theodore Nott.

"Just ignore the git," snickered Theodore, staring up at the ceiling with a bored expression on his face.

"I already am," replied Draco coolly.

He ran his fingers through his blonde hair and imagined those fingers grazing against his scalp to be Hermione's. Wow, he really _was_ obsessed with pursuing her, wasn't he? It was just an experiment, he told himself.

"Alright."

"Where's your slu – I mean, _girl_, today?"

"We're not seeing each other anymore."

"I thought you liked her."

"Not really, I'm doing some self-searching right now."

He seemed so unabashed by it, it was almost nauseating and hilarious – not to mention, so obviously cliché. Draco let out a soft snicker and shook his head at his good friend's quick response.

"You need some of that too."

"What makes you think that?"

"I just know things."


	33. Claws

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! Also, a lot of you mentioned how Ginny seems really evil and stuff and how some of you guys don't like it. I know this isn't a good excuse – but I suppose it's because I'm anti-Ginny. At the moment I'm kind of sick so I may not get around to updating as frequently even though it's the holidays! Sorry._

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* * *

_CHAPTER 33: CLAWS

Harry winced as he spotted Luna and Seamus sitting together on the dewy green grass. The sun was shining and the birds were _not_ singing, fortunately. Though for Harry, it almost felt as if there were birds flying around his head and pecking at his brain. He watched the couple lean against a tree together. The blonde girl's head was rested against the nervous boy's shoulder, in which he'd wrapped an arm around her.

"I really like the weekends," murmured Luna as she looked up at Seamus with a goofy grin.

"Yeah?" queried Seamus. He stared down at her for a second, all pink around the ears.

"Yep," she replied quickly.

Luna felt like a soft blanket on his body, like an angel. He didn't want to move. He wanted to sweep down and just kiss her cheek and watch her giggle and blush because he was so sure that that would be her initial response. He inhaled slowly, taking in Luna's scent – freshly cut grass. Ditto, they were sitting _on_ grass anyways. Seamus smiled as he noticed what Luna was wearing, examining her carefully. She was dressed in a fitted earthy brown sweater and bright yellow pants with a necklace made out of Muggle plastic white and blue bottle caps she claimed were tokens of luck when she'd picked it up at a flea market when she was out with her father Xenophilius Lovegood. Only a girl like her could have a mind that was filled with such silly shenanigans and superstition.

As Luna closed her eyes, her thick eyelashes pressed against each other, Seamus let out a sigh. He too, closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree, against its brown peeling bark. He felt his body relax, with all tensions floating away around him. He felt light, as light as a feather. He didn't even feel Luna. He felt the warm breeze fan his face. He felt weightless, with nothing around him but the tree – _wait_, he didn't feel Luna? He didn't feel her against his shoulder.

"Malfoy, give it back!" squeaked an airy voice. Seamus opened one eye.

"Why should I? What is this? A gift from the mudblood?" sneered a low, menacing voice. He had Luna's necklace coiled over the tip of his wand while he examined it with pure disgust.

Seamus went rigid as his eyes widened, both eyes flipping open as he found himself staring at an angry Luna Lovegood, looking up at a smug and disgustingly dashing Draco Malfoy, looking down at her with hateful eyes. He had his brainless cronies Crabbe and Goyle lined up behind him. They looked fat, stupid and pathetic excuses as wizards.

"Aww, poor you," murmured Draco in his falsest sweet voice, knitting his perfectly arched eyebrows together. He thought he spotted the poor Ravenclaw girl pull out her wand but she hadn't because the Gryffindork behind her already did that. Draco tilted his head up for a moment, noticing an intimidated Seamus. He smirked smugly. "You think your boyfriend can rescue you from breaking the rules of fashion?"

Geez, he sounded like such a fruit. Who even _said_ that other than a snotty Muggle teen?

"Malfoy, you prick!" snarled Seamus angrily as he placed a protective arm around Luna, who was looking more and more helpless. Why were they fighting over a stupid necklace anyways? He proceeded to use a phrase he'd heard from Lavender, Parvati and Hermione in their fifth year. "Who made _you_ the fashion police? You used about half a bottle of gel daily for your hair in first year!"

The handsome blonde boy had surely grown out of his gel days.

"You shut it, Finnigan. Or do you want to fight? Surely _this_ piece of garbage isn't worth the fight," said Draco nonchalantly as he turned to face the angry boy, spinning the necklace around in his hands while he was careful not to let it touch his bare flesh.

Seamus' eyes were reduced to slits as his angry glare broke through. Draco hadn't squinted, but merely stood there, daring him to make the first move. Luna stood, her big blue eyes traveling back and forth between Seamus and Draco. It was just a necklace, she thought. They shouldn't have been getting so worked up about it. Honestly, _boys_. It was always like that! Boys and their girls; boys and their shags; their snogs; their battles and their rivalries. _Ugh_.

"Sod off, Malfoy!"

Draco turned around and rolled his gray eyes at the sound of the voice that just resonated in his mind. He knew who it was as soon as he'd heard it. Scarhead. Potty. St. Potter. _Pothead._

"Go fight your own battles, Potty," drawled Draco nonchalantly as he let Luna's necklace slip down to the ground. He raised his wand above his hip just in case Harry was going to fight. He examined the dark haired boy. His green eyes were boring into his own, as if he wanted to beat him up over a stupid necklace that Draco could have easily nicked from a house elf. He stifled a snort at the thought of that. He then continued to annoy Harry because he wasn't going to say anything. "The girl's already got herself a boy. And a miserable, weak one at that. He's a _boy_, and I thought you'd be a man to accept that. I guess not."

He wrinkled his nose as he watched Harry grunt.

"Stop being such a git, Malfoy," snapped Harry quickly. At the corner of his eye, he noticed Luna picking up her necklace and watching Draco and Harry with worried eyes. He then turned around and stuck his wand out and proceeded with "_Avis_."

Immediately, a flock of twittering birds came out of the tip of Harry's wand, flying past Draco and over his head. He thought he heard Luna mutter something under her breath to Seamus, who nodded and looked in another direction. Draco and Harry both dismissed this, focusing on where the birds were headed. Luckily, they hadn't sent precious bird droppings over Draco's perfect – well, _not_ so perfect hair now that the birds had set him off balance. He still stood, however, just with an annoyed expression, a pestered one as if Harry was an incompetent child who was being a total idiot.

"What the hell, Potter?" spat Draco, running his fingers through his hair. He shot Crabbe and Goyle a disgusted look as they had amused expressions painted across their fat, round faces. The immediately flushed pink and looked down at the floor, hardly able to contain themselves at this sight. As brainless cronies – they were _truly_ brainless.

"What is it, Malfoy? Scared your dear old daddy won't accept his son with messy hair?" sneered Harry with a smug smirk that made Draco's normal smirk look novice. He thought he heard Luna whisper something. Seamus stepped forward, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Guys, I think this is enough," he mumbled.

"Sod off, Finnigan!" growled Draco, as he shoved Seamus onto the ground without second thoughts. He then proceeded to do the same with Harry, walking over to him and picking him up by the collar. The expression on Harry's face grew a little startled and frightened for a while. "Do _not_ talk about my father, Potter! Do you hear me?"

He was angry – _very_ angry and definitely seeing red.

"That will be enough, Mr. Malfoy!" said a voice within close proximity. It took Draco about a minute to let go of Harry, who collected himself and smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes. He turned around, annoyed. Who was disturbing him from his _right_; no, _power_ to clobber the Pothead and leave him to rot in the grass?

It was Professor McGonagall, with her signature bun and fierce scowl. He sighed. She then proceeded to speak. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and Slytherin. You will come to my office so we may discuss what just happened."

The two protested immediately but were cut off by Professor McGonagall. The boys, shooting glares at each other, while muttering curses. A hurt Seamus got up and walked after them, knowing that they would need witnesses. Luna meekly followed from behind.

-

"Fifty points off _and_ detention on Monday. It's all because of Malfoy!" frowned Harry angrily. He usually would've acted in a cooler demeanor but he was quite annoyed. He folded his arms across his chest and anyone nearby would have seen the angry fire in his eyes – even if it weren't for the fireplace that glowed before him in the Gryffindor common room.

"Calm down, Harry. Why don't you tell us what happened?" asked Ginny softly. She sat beside Harry with a worried look on her face. She was dressed in a crisp black cardigan and top over a short gray skirt that Ron told her to change out of though she'd quickly refused; with the excuse that Harry needed a pair of ears to listen to his ranting. Besides, she liked the attention she was getting though most of the girls were pretty good to look at anyways.

"Fine," nodded Harry.

So he proceeded to drop all the details, trying to leave out the part about where he felt horrible for Luna because she had to stand there and watch it all happen and then have Seamus pushed down. The way his face was contorted with anger didn't hide his feelings for Luna because Ginny saw them. She and Ron both saw them even though he could have hid this from everyone else who listened politely; Lavender, Parvati, Dean, Neville and Seamus. He felt so bad because Seamus just sat there meekly, a little embarrassed about how the situation had gone out of hand. But soon, he knew that this topic would come to a close because as long as Gryffindor beat Slytherin tomorrow in Quidditch, everything would be set and it would make Harry feel a _little_ better.

But before he felt good, he felt even worse. Since he told his house about what happened earlier, Ginny stuck behind to speak with Harry. She sounded so careful and cautious. Now that Ron and Lavender were gone to recline in their respective dorms – though probably in each other's, and Dean and Parvati were chatting away and getting ready to leave, it was just Ginny and Harry. Heck, even Neville took the hint and decided to leave.

"Harry, if you don't mind me saying," began Ginny softly. The look on her face was struck with nervousness; she was one big ball of nerves right now. She then continued. "I know you're still hurt about Luna but she's sort of with Seamus now."

And whose fault was _that_?

"I know that," replied Harry evenly. He didn't want to lose his temper with Ginny. She'd been there for him all this time and sometimes he didn't know what he'd do without her. Ron was too busy with Lavender and Hermione was too distant now. Besides, she wasn't very good with feelings. She often followed her mind – though in some cases, the mind would trump out the heart on judgments.

Ginny sighed.

"There are people around you that worry though, you know," she winced. She badly wanted to say something about how Harry had to let go of Luna, who was basically taken because other girls, like Ginny, wanted a go at Harry. Somehow those words couldn't form in her mouth.

"Thanks, Ginny," grinned Harry, his eyes stating otherwise.

Ginny smiled back stupidly.


	34. Crowds

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! I'm currently trying to make things less "drag on". Hopefully it's working. Also, for those of you who don't know who "Urquhart" is, he's a Chaser for the Slytherin Quidditch team. I searched up who the captains were for Harry's sixth year. And yay! Thanks for 20,000 hits and 4,200 visitors this month. It might not be a lot for you guys. But for me, I think it is! Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Be safe._

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* * *

_CHAPTER 34: CROWDS

The next morning had surely come and hit the school like a pile of bricks. _Everyone_ was talking about today's Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor. The respective teams were meeting to discuss game tactics, while the rest of the school nervously hoped that Gryffindor would win, except for Slytherin who was pretty much on their own side. In fact, the competition had gotten so crazy that a third year Hufflepuff set up bets for the students to bet on who would win only to be caught by Professor McGonagall and a couple of house prefects. Obviously, it wasn't allowed as it discouraged teams and didn't promote school spirit. Most people had bet on Gryffindor to win anyways. Hermione smirked when she heard about this. What a devious child, she thought.

"Will you two stop talking about them?" frowned Ginny Weasley as she folded her arms across her chest. Breakfast had ended a good hour ago. She was sitting in the Gryffindor common room to her dismay, beside Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. She didn't _hate_ those girls, but she didn't run in those circles – gossiping and boys, though she'd surely appreciated both. She stared ahead at the fire before her, just like Harry had been yesterday. The flames were as red as her glossy red hair, haloed with light.

"But they're _totally_ delicious," argued Lavender playfully. She folded her arms across her chest with a huff and shot a look at Parvati, who nodded, agreeing. She thought about the haughty Blaise Zabini and the handsome Draco Malfoy.

"See? We got into a topic with Quidditch, which went to Slytherin, which went over to that ferret Malfoy, and then to his crony Zabini!" muttered Ginny.

"_Please_, Ginny. It's not like you don't find them attractive," continued Parvati.

Those shallow knit-wits, thought Ginny with an eye roll. If only Hermione were here. But _right_, she'd chased her off and they weren't exactly the best of friends anymore. She sunk into her seat with disappointment and guilt, thinking happy thoughts of Harry. Harry would make me feel better, she told herself.

"No, I think a certain Potter boy's got her attention," smirked Lavender. She and her roommate nudged each other in unison. The two of them giggled like a pack of hyenas as Ginny sunk even lower into her seat.

-

Students, parents and teachers filled the boxes around the Quidditch pitch. The day was impossibly sunny and it was the perfect day for a Quidditch match. Both teams were entering the fields, with a roar of cheers and claps following each son or daughter, friend and housemate that flew into the spotlight. A blur of green, red and white filled the field, a wide field with emerald green grass that shone from the dew. Onlookers would have noticed the threatening looks the teams cast at each other, where a certain blonde Malfoy would look around the crowd for his father – only to realize that he wasn't present _again_. He huffed.

"What's wrong, Malfoy? Is daddy dearest not here to watch you screw up?" smirked Ron menacingly as he ran his fingers through his red hair. Harry looked over at him and shook his head. As the captain this year, there was no way he wanted another reason for the opposing team to hate them. They'd definitely commit a bunch of fouls to mess them up. Most of the time they were dismissed. Either Madam Hooch was blind – or she honestly didn't want to call out a foul every five minutes because there'd _be_ no game at that rate.

Draco squinted his eyes and murmured, "I thought I told Potter already – _not_ to talk about my father."

His eyes were momentarily cast on Harry, who hadn't failed to return the nasty glare.

"Maybe you didn't make it clear enough then," retorted Ron, ignoring Harry's nervous glance at him completely. Ron, Ron, Ron! Why did he have to be so reckless sometimes? He continued. "I suppose your precious daddy already paid for the team's broomsticks seeing that you must suck so much that you must stoop so low to actually make the team."

"Yeah? Well, at least _my_ father can afford new equipment _and_ broomsticks. I can't say the same for yours though," snapped Draco angrily. The crowd must have watched the argument but probably heard none of it. Draco frowned even more and looked over at Harry, feeling the boy's kiwi green eyes on him. "And at least I _have_ a father. So don't you go bashing mine!"

Ron's face became as red as his hair the next moment when he raised his hand to form a fist. Draco merely looked at him as if he was no threat. He was stronger, more built and hell of a better fighter. If they were standing on solid ground right now, Draco would be looking down at Ron. But that was who he was, looking down his nose on blood traitors and mudblood filth.

"Oh sod off, Malf –"

"That's enough," frowned Harry. He tried his hardest to forget what Draco just said. He mentioned his _father_. James Potter – dead. He'd just win this match as consolation. Besides, his mind had been over this countless times. He knew his father was dead and he wasn't coming back. It was a known fact and he was going to accept that.

He shook his head and flew forward to shake hands with Urquhart, the Slytherin captain. He wore his captain's badge proudly over his Quidditch robes and smirked at Harry – the same deceitful smirk that Draco reserved for anyone "lower than him". Harry examined the Slytherin Quidditch captain. He had the most unfriendly hazel eyes that seemed darker than they should have been, and curls of black hair that fell into his eyes. Under his left eye was a scar, a small pink mark that stretched toward his sculpted Roman nose that slowly dipped down above his full lips. He could've been handsome from certain angles but from most angles, he just looked angry and impatient. That couldn't have done much for him and the ladies.

As his little examination was lifted, their hands, then fingers met for the handshake that began the game. Oh, had he felt the strain – as if Urquhart was trying to twist his fingers and tug them off. He grimaced as he tried not to do the same but it was too tempting to do so. It was either _his_ fingers or Urquhart's. He recalled when Oliver Wood was the captain and he and Marcus Flint always tried to break each other's fingers before each game. Then again, none of them were Seekers so it didn't matter as much.

"Let's just play the damn game," muttered an impatient Urquhart as he shook his head at the childish behaviour of Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley. He was about their age, yes, but he decided that his maturity levels had skyrocketed unlike theirs. He flew back on his broom and watched the game commence as the crowd cheered once more. Harry grimaced and shook the tingling sensation from his hand that just met the wrath of Urquhart.

Little did he know that he'd be meeting more of a wrath during the game. Slytherin was _good_. And if the game ended with them winning, he'd be facing the wrath of disappointment from everyone around him. He tried not to think about it. But the game had gone on for about an hour and a half now, with the crowd's eyes trying their hardest to follow whoever had the Quaffle, which was being passed around as quickly as possible. It'd been disappointing because the game didn't end until the Snitch was caught. Harry heard about games that went for months but actually doubted Hogwarts swung that way. He looked around with squinted eyes in hopes of finding the Snitch – gold and winged in its goodness.

His thoughts were disturbed by…

"Harry, look out!"

He ducked reflexively. He noticed the nasty Bludger skim right over his head. He then touched the top of his head self-consciously, expecting it to burn like fire. Nope, his hair and head, for that matter were still there. He gulped and turned around to thank Katie Bell for the warning. As she flew off without notice for the Quaffle again, Harry's thoughts were disturbed by a pained yelling. Harry noticed that the crowd gasped as they all stood up. Harry looked around. Why were they all gasping? It was as if it all happened in slow motion.

"Holy shit," he thought, his eyes widening. He grimaced as Ron smirked at the situation.

Draco Malfoy was just knocked off his broom by a Bludger – hit at the chest and falling without anyone to catch him. He tried to wrinkle his nose as Ron tried to hide his laughter. Urquhart merely floated there, shooting Ron a dirty look and wondering how _he'd_ be feeling right now if he was hit. Then again, the Slytherin team always did this during games. Harry recalled the time Marcus Flint and Montague, the Slytherin Chasers a few years ago, squished a puny Gryffindor Chaser in between their brooms who was new to the team. They'd proceeded to steer him into one of the stands, where he fell off his broom and twisted his ankle. They weren't fouled, to Harry's dismay, and the poor Gryffindor never returned for the next game. He couldn't blame the kid though. He'd be scarred for life and hate the Slytherin house even more, if that was possible.

"Geez, fuck off!" growled Draco Malfoy as he felt a hand over his chest. He was the epitome of disheveled at the moment; sort of an interesting twist for him. The poor blonde boy looked up and it turned out to be Theodore Nott, who looked down at his friend, shaking his head. He was in no mood to deal with Draco's heroics. He was clearly hurt. Madam Hooch had to stop the game and give each team a short break.

"Oh save your toughness, your father's not here," sneered Ron as he folded his arms across his chest. He strided off with Harry, who only shook his head at Ron's rudeness. He noticed Draco throwing him a look of death. Yeah, as if he could do anything lying on the ground with an aching chest. He could only imagine Pansy Parkinson's worried look on her face. She probably ran off to grab Madam Pomfrey.

"Just ignore the git, Draco," whispered Theodore, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. Luckily Draco wasn't bleeding at the chest. It was just really bad bruising that would probably clear up if it was taken care of. His friend merely nodded and shot a furtive glance at Ron.

"I'll get him next time," seethed Draco.


	35. Thanks

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! Very sorry that Draco and Hermione have been very slow but I'm getting there, though this chapter was incredibly sour in my attempts – I've been preoccupied with other things lately. I get the feeling this is going to be one of "those" super long fanfics. Aaand yeah, sorry about that as well._

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_CHAPTER 35: THANKS

Hermione Granger sat on her bed and pretended to read a muggle classic for the fifth time while trying to block the image of Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown making out nearby. It was hard because her book could only be held so close to her face so that she could actually _see_ the text on each page though she read it so many times that she could've memorized the words already. Oh well, at least Parvati was fast asleep. It was almost 11:45 and it was evident that Hermione would turn seventeen in fifteen minutes; just nobody would probably remember. She sighed and pulled out her journal for her daily writing. It wasn't like her roommate and her boyfriend would notice her around anyways.

She felt her cat Crookshanks purr as he cuddled up next to her, poking at a random piece of paper that jutted out of Hermione's old journal. It was a familiar looking piece that Hermione forgot all about. She ran her fingers through her brown waves and pulled it out.

_Shit_, she thought.

_Granger,  
Meet me at 11:59 tomorrow night at the Astronomy Tower. I'll be waiting for you until you show up._

_- Malfoy_

It was the letter from Draco. And by "tomorrow" he meant "tonight". Her eyes scanned the parchment again, taking in every word. She sighed in defeat. Was she going to meet him? He was certainly not going to be at the tower tonight anyways in his condition. What if she snuck out for nothing and wouldn't even find him? Besides, what was so special about 11:59? She winced at the thought of this. She surely wanted to get to sleep but she knew she'd get none of it with Ron and Lavender sucking face before her eyes. She shuddered at the thought of what was going on under the covers. Good thing they were covered.

Under her own covers, Hermione managed to slip out of her baggy sweater and sweatpants she usually wore to bed and instead changed into a nicer outfit. She obviously didn't want anyone to suspect her though. Hell, she didn't even know where she was supposed to go but she could take the chances, right? Standing up and examining herself; teal blue V-neck sweater, black jeans and sneakers, she looked ready. It wasn't a sort of "date" outfit, but it was certainly a regular outfit that would have made her look nice regardless. Sauntering over to her desk to pick up her wand, she shoved it into the pocket of her sweater and took off, unsure of where to go.

Her feet had hurt the whole way going down the stairs to sneak out because she tried her hardest not to make the quick pattering noise of shoes against the stairs when people did speedy runs down flights of stairs. She didn't want to wake anyone up or be followed, or well, _hear_ any sounds that she shouldn't have been hearing. Just because Gryffindor won this game, it didn't mean people didn't want to celebrate until the early mornings though it would have sucked if the house prefect woke up and spotted Hermione sneaking out. She could've easily said that she wanted to sit in the common room but then everyone would know that it was a lie. Fixing her wavy brown hair up and clearing her throat, she exited her safe haven and…

"_Crap_, what the –"

"Shush, Granger. Do you want them to hear us?"

Hermione's eyes were still wide from when she exited the Gryffindor common room. She thought she'd gotten caught for a moment there, but to her surprise, she wasn't. Theodore Nott of all people was standing outside the common room and it was as if he was _waiting_ there for her which just freaked her out in the freakiest way possible. The portrait of the Fat Lady stared down at her disapprovingly, shaking her head. She was known for keeping students left out when they snuck out at night but Hermione knew how to get back in. She had her own ways anyway.

"What do you want, Nott?" she whispered huskily, looking around the corridor in case someone else was wondering around as well. She tried to catch her breath by the surprise that took over her moments ago. Her eyebrows furrowed together and her long eyelashes batted about once. Theodore blushed as he couldn't keep himself from looking at the inch of cleavage that Hermione revealed in her sweater. She rolled her eyes. "My eyes are up here. Care to answer my question before I hex you?"

_Feisty._

"Yeah umm, Draco's waiting for you in the infirmary," he responded, with a bit of embarrassment coating his voice. He tried to sound as quiet and casual as possible, looking down at the beautiful girl before him. She was beautiful but so fucking intimidating sometimes.

"Wait, how did you know about this?"

"I don't, he just told me to pass the message."

"But how will I sneak in the infirmary?" she asked, almost sounding curious and enthusiastic. She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. She didn't want Theodore to know that she was actually almost _interested_ in seeing him after what happened today during Quidditch.

"Well, you're the brightest witch of our age. I think you'll figure something out. Besides, it's not like Pomfrey actually _sits_ and looms over her students."

"Right, thanks," she murmured. She shuddered at the thought of Madam Pomfrey actually watching Draco. What if she spotted them together? What would she think? Well, that could be just as bad as getting caught for sneaking out at night.

-

"Who's there?" murmured Draco, shifting in his bed as he winced from the pain at his chest. Stupid Quidditch. He'd been coughing up blood until a few hours ago. Good thing they hadn't told the humiliating story to his parents though he knew that his mother Narcissa would have been horribly worried.

"Malfoy?" muttered Hermione as she revealed herself from behind a divider. She watched the startled blonde boy nearly jump at the sound of her voice. "Shh, it's just me."

Draco's features softened as he rested against his bed, his head against the pillow. He tried to smirk at what was supposed to happen tonight. He was supposed to "seduce and reduce". But hmm, he couldn't exactly do that, could he? Besides, Hermione actually looked sort of nice and he felt a little bad. Merlin, she looked so pretty with a bit of moonlight framing her face, he thought as she moved closer. She sat on the chair beside his bed, careful not to make any noise. The word "mudblood" ran through his mind.

_11:58._

"So how are you feeling?" asked Hermione. She wanted to ask why she had to come but she felt that it would've been more respectful to ask him how he was feeling. Besides, right now he looked so fragile, but there was a different handsomeness about him.

"Fine," replied Draco blankly. He could've added, "I should've just stopped playing. Potter would have caught the Snitch eventually anyways." But he didn't. He shut his mouth. He didn't want a conversation.

"Oh spare me the heroics, Malfoy," said Hermione with an eye roll. That was exactly what Theodore said earlier. She couldn't help but notice his bare arms, toned and lightly muscled, fit snugly right over his chest.

"Alright, then we won't kill time," murmured Draco glumly. Hermione was taken aback.

"What did you want me here for?" queried Hermione.

She watched as Draco stuck his hand in his pocket from under the covers and looked up at the ceiling with an uncomfortable expression plastered across his handsome face. Hermione hoped that he wasn't grabbing at what she _thought_ he was grabbing at. As he pulled his hand back out, Hermione noticed that it was some sort of silvery chain with a charm at the end; some purple stone in the shape of a diamond. She gasped. Was he giving _that_ to her? She sighed in relief for a moment but sort of felt nervous because well, _why_ did he pull it out?

"Turn around."

"Malfoy, I can't take that…what is it, even?"

"It's a necklace for your birthday. It's 11:59. Let me put it on you before you turn seventeen," he chuckled. Did he just _chuckle_? He motioned her over to his bed and she looked nervous. How did he know it was her birthday? With an eye roll, he pulled her over, even though it hurt his chest a bit when he had to move his arm. She reluctantly sat down with a plop, feeling the warmth burn at her skin from where he touched her. Who would ever think that Hermione and Draco would ever sit on the same bed? She felt herself burn up as she'd tried not to sit on his leg or something, though she could feel her bottom lightly grazing his knee.

"But we don't even know each other…in the positive sense. You hate me," she shrugged, eyeing the necklace skeptically as if it was hexed or cursed. Draco rolled his eyes and knew what she was thinking. He noticed her fidgeting. "How do I know it's…safe?"

"It's not hexed, Granger. Just let me put it on you," he sighed. She nodded and pulled her hair up, letting a waft of vanilla aroma fill both of their nostrils. Draco inhaled her scent and let Hermione feel his warm hands flit over her smooth neck, clasping on the beautiful necklace. It took a while for her to adjust to his touch. She didn't feel different so she trusted him with the fact that it was safe. It really was beautiful. It was a short pure silver chain that wrapped around her neck, ending at her collarbone area, where the purple gemstone dipped down in a diamond shape, held by a silvery pod in the shape of a flower.

"Oh Malfoy, I can't take this," she muttered, looking at him as they sat about a couple of inches apart. She turned back around and left her hair back down. He smiled at her beauty. It wasn't something one could notice from the first glance. It took a little bit more searching to see the beauty in Hermione and he was more beautiful than he liked to admit.

"You just did. Now you can thank me," he grinned. It was part of the experiment, he decided – even though he was sort of looking forward to this for a while because he wanted to taste the mudblood squirm under him again.

"How in Merlin will I do that? And why are you even doing this?" she asked. A million questions buzzed through her mind. What if there was some tracing device on this? Well, no. She trusted him. Did she really trust him? She sighed. This was _Malfoy_. This was the nasty Slytherin whose father was Lucius Malfoy, who was pure evil.

"Always with your quest –"

Hermione's eyes widened for a moment. Draco cleared his throat.

"Because it was your birthday, and it started as of two seconds ago," he restated kindly. It was a different side of Draco she had rarely seen. He proceeded to pat her arm. She flushed pink in the darkness, letting goose bumps take over her skin. "Happy birthday, Granger!"

He'd said that with false enthusiasm. He usually wasn't one for celebrating unless he was inebriated.

"Thank you," she murmured after about thirty seconds. "I guess tomorrow we can go back to hating each other again."

If they wouldn't progress then that was probably what was going to happen. He mentally winced at the thought of that. The faster he bagged her, the faster it would be over, right? And the more action he'd get, though it wasn't as if he couldn't get action elsewhere. Damn it, was he _desperate_ for this mudblood? Probably not, he told himself.

"What are you staring at?" whispered Hermione. She touched her face self-consciously, wondering if there was something there.

He smiled at her and leaned forward just slightly to kiss her cheek. He wondered how she'd react to this. She'd probably run off and he'd be able to have a good laugh about it later. But as she tilted her face over, their lips met with a soft gasp escaping both their lips. Surprisingly, Hermione hadn't pulled back and Draco sat a little straighter, his knee in the air and his foot rested against the bed while he leaned over to pull her in closer.

_Fuck_, thought Hermione. She hoped her breath hadn't smelled bad. _Fuck again_, she was kissing fucking Malfoy and she was thinking about her breath? But what the fuck? The first thing she did as a seventeen year old was kiss Draco Malfoy? What the hell? Mm, well he was pretty good, she thought, smiling against his lips as he snaked an arm around her waist to pull her in even closer. Why was she giving in so easily? Oh damn, but he felt so good. His lips were the softest, so different from kissing that clumsy Ron. Her lips parted and she moaned into his mouth. It made her edge closer to him as his fingers met the bare flesh of her waist. She felt the moisture seep in between her thighs though it must not have been the right thing. But damn it, she was seventeen now and she had urges! Too bad she couldn't control them in this situation. And there was no way she was in control when his tongue was wrapped around hers. He _was_ skilled and could definitely control his spit instead of Ron's pathetic excuse for making out which could've been slobbery at times. She was a little more thankful that he was Lavender's problem now.

She moved in closer as she felt his warm hands wrap around her even more. She pressed her hand against his chest for a moment. He was topless with white gauze around his chest where the ointment had been rubbed. Dark bruises were visible through the gauze, though they'd lightened a fair bit since he'd gotten them.

Well, it wasn't as if they weren't caught in this position before. They'd done it during the Masked Ball. But _knowing_ who they were making out with. Well, it was different. She heard him moan as her hand brushed over his toned stomach. As she trailed her warm fingers back up his body, he winced just slightly, pulling back for air. They were both panting as Hermione placed her hand over Draco's heart, which was beating rather quickly. She blushed and pulled back after Draco's reaction.

"Sorry, did I hurt you?"

"My chest just hurts a bit."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's fine, Granger."

The moonlight hit him so beautifully, with the light being caught on his muscles. It would have been a shame to have it gone to waste and hide under a shirt. But that's what he did everyday and it wasn't as if he could walk around Hogwarts topless though it wasn't as if any of the female population would complain.

"Look umm, what we did…"

"It's fine, we were just c-caught up and stuff. It was nothing."

Right, it was nothing. She winced. She couldn't see twin blushes on his cheeks at the moment though _he_ was sure they existed. But geez! She was supposed to hate him. But he was so sweet tonight. Or maybe he just pitied her…

"I guess I'll see you later then," shrugged Draco, backing off as he placed his own hand against his chest. It wasn't from the pain, but his heart was beating like crazy.

"Yeah," mumbled Hermione. _Yeah_? Is that all she could say? Well, it wasn't like anything else could come out of her mouth right now; after what happened. There was no "get well soon" or "thanks for the gift" or "goodnight". Just "yeah". She felt like banging her head against a brick wall.

It was only until she was in her dorm did she realize that she just made out with Draco bloody _Malfoy_ without gagging or puking in his mouth. And she knew what she was doing! The weirdest part was that she didn't think it was that bad. She shuddered and desperately hoped that Draco wasn't going to go on a puke fest because of her. That could have been creepy.


	36. Effects

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 36: EFFECTS

_His eyes stared into hers as they kissed again. Their lips melted into each other as he pulled her closer against the tree. The sun was shining above them and it was just the two of them on the school grounds. As he pulled her back and they switched positions, with her against the tree, she let out a moan as her back was being shoved against the bark. It was painful and rough, but there was something sweet about it. Her arms were pinned up against the tree helplessly while their tongues met like fire. His lips trailed down her neck, going lower with a low gr –_

"Hermione!" yelled a sweet voice.

…_lower with a low gr – lower with a low…_

Hermione rolled around and buried herself deeper into her bed.

"Geez, just let her sleep," commented a slightly ruder one. It belonged to Lavender, no doubt.

"Oh shut _up_, Lavender," whispered huskier voice that was clearly more tired than the rest. Parvati.

"Girls, did you tell her I was here?" asked another voice jokingly. It definitely belonged to Ron. Hermione mentally rolled her eyes. Good thing she was still _dressed_ under her covers. It was so hot last night, but probably from what she was dreaming of. How shameful, she decided. It was just _one_ illicit kiss with Draco Malfoy and now she was going kooky over it.

"Now, _you_ stop talking, Ron!" giggled Lavender. Her voice had turned from rude and loathing to flirty and fun in about fifteen seconds. Hermione didn't want to wake up to _that_ pair together. Maybe they'd cut her some slack – and her eyes and ears some slack – for the day as a birthday present, as lame as that may have sounded.

"One, two, three!" whispered Harry all of a sudden.

Hermione knew what was coming.

"_Happy birthday, Hermione_!" they all yelled, at the top of their lungs. It was surely going to wake up the others but it wasn't like they cared. Hermione actually wondered why they'd done this. Weren't they cross with her? They probably still were, but able to shove it aside for her birthday. She winced as her eyes flipped open. She tried her best to look surprised though she probably ended up looking like a retarded toad.

"Wow, you guys," grinned Hermione with a bright smile plastered across her face. She sat up and continued to hide under the covers, missing its warmth wrap around her. It probably wasn't the response they expected.

At least they didn't care. Ginny immediately threw her arms around Hermione and pulled her in an embrace while whispering an apology in her ear. Hermione tried to smile and return the favours if it weren't for how tight Ginny was holding her. It was rather disappointing how Ginny wouldn't have admitted her wrongs over that big Polyjuice incident. She actually hoped that everyone could put that incident aside and just let her enjoy her birthday even though she didn't really want to spend it with people like Lavender or Ron.

"How does it feel to wake up as a seventeen year old?" queried Ginny quickly, bringing out her wrapped present. It was a big silver and pink box with a pretty silky bow at the top. There was a card, as well as a letter from Mrs. Weasley. "Mum insisted that you get a present from her as well, it's included in there!"

"Thank you, Ginny. I will owl your mother and thank her," smiled Hermione. She self-consciously ran her fingers through her silky brown waves, hoping that she didn't look _too_ bad. She reached out for her fuzzy gray sweater and wrapped it around her body while Crookshanks was curled up beside her. She then proceeded to respond to Ginny's question. "I don't feel any different though."

As she turned over to look at Parvati and Lavender, she noticed that they both had mortified expressions on their faces as they looked at Hermione's chest. Ugh, how violating was that? It wasn't like she was small or anything. At least she wasn't sagging! That's when she noticed that Ginny was staring too. Ron and Harry shared amused looks as they had no idea what was going on.

"That is _such_ a pretty necklace, Hermione!" gasped Parvati, hugging herself in her red and white striped tank top. Lavender nodded and stuck out her hand to touch the purple gemstone. Hermione wanted to shrug her off. She'd never stopped to even _look_ at Hermione's things before. Why was she interested all of a sudden? Right, it was Draco. She looked down at the necklace, marveling at its beauty for a moment. It must have been the most expensive thing she owned.

A big fit began of "where did you get it" and "who's it from" erupted from the conversation, which made Ron and Harry roll their eyes. Yep, the perks of hanging out with girls were that they loved superficialities.

"It's umm, actually a gift," replied Hermione, with twin blushes in her cheeks. She didn't know what else to say. There was no way that she was going to tell them who it was _really_ from. Besides, they would have her head and take it away and ask if it was cursed and Ron and Harry would likely go on a big rant. She felt guilty for keeping the truth from them but she honestly wasn't afraid of if it was cursed or not. She knew it wasn't. Somehow, she just knew.

"Oh," muttered Lavender with a frown.

"What's so _oh_, Lavender?" retorted Hermione.

"Oh _nothing_. I just thought that you could've grown out of your sneaky stage, 'Mione," replied Lavender with a false surprised look on her face. Cut the crap, thought Hermione. Did she just accuse her of _stealing_ the necklace?

"It _was_ a gift," huffed Hermione.

"Let's hope that it was a gift intended for you then," said Lavender quietly. She shot Ron a look, who just shrugged and placed a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off and gave him a wobbly angered look, as if she was right about Hermione being a thief. Instead of blowing up, Hermione merely smiled at Lavender politely.

"It was. Trust me," nodded Hermione.

Why did Lavender Brown _intend_ on ruining her birthday?

"Open my gift!" commanded Ginny with a playful stubbornness as she tried to lighten up the atmosphere. She felt guilty because of everything that had gone on in the past week or so. She just wanted Hermione to at least have a nice birthday even though their friendship was strained. It was her birthday – it was a time to fix things.

"Okay," smiled Hermione.

She proceeded to gently rip out the wrapping paper that was wrapped around each gift. Her friends had really been good to her this year. Although Parvati and Lavender didn't get her anything, they still hugged her like a good roommate could and made mental notes to go out of their way today to make Hermione a little happier although Lavender had the hardest time coping. Most of the time it was Ron doing nice things on her behalf. After the disagreement from the morning, Lavender stopped making comments to Hermione's face about the beautiful necklace though she hadn't gone out of her way to talk about this to the other girls.

From Harry, Hermione received a neat notebook that she could probably use as a little agenda although Hermione's mind was her agenda. She had wonderful memory. From Ron, she received candies – unwrapped. It was obvious to both of them that he picked a random present for her because he was unprepared. Mrs. Weasley had given her a nice set of quills, most likely from Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. Hermione was prepared and already had the thank you letter written up. She learned later on from Ginny that Mrs. Weasley was unhappy when Hermione and Ron broke up. Apparently she found out somehow but Ron never told her about the incident at the Masked Ball.

From Ginny, she received a skirt that was purposely cut short to show off Hermione's toned legs. She liked it, but doubted that she'd ever wear it. Hermione wasn't one for showing off too much skin anyways. Going through the rest of the box, there was even a letter from the silly redhead, an apology and hopes that everything would be better soon. Hermione tried to smile at it, but she knew Ginny was just trying to make Hermione feel more "comfortable" with accepting the fact that she was "guilty". It was evident that if they ever wanted to be super close again, she'd have to own up to her faults.

But most of all, from her parents, she received the most encouraging letter. She loved them so much that she was reduced to tears by the end of reading it.

_Our dear Hermione,_

_It only seems like yesterday that you were in your diapers parading around with an abacus, able to spell out words in our old building blocks. But you've grown up so much since then. Sixteen years have passed for you and on this day, it marks your seventeenth. You, our beautiful darling daughter – a very bright witch – a genius, many say. You have no idea how proud we are of you. We love you so much and will always be rooting for you._

_Ever since you were accepted into Hogwarts, we knew that you were going to do something big. It was only a matter of time. And while we were worried about you, you always managed to pull through. We believe that you will do some more wonderful things in the future. You are like a shining star, a beautiful, elegant shining star. You've grown so much and grown brighter and brighter as the years passed. Don't let anyone deny that or take your pride away from you. Your achievements will always speak for you._

_As well, this letter is to wish you a happy birthday! We are sorry that we are unable to celebrate with you but hopefully you and your friends will celebrate and have the best birthday ever. We're rooting for you._

_Lots of love,  
Mum and Dad_

_P.S. Are you still seeing that nice Weasley boy?_

-

"I swear she must've stolen that necklace. There's no way _she_ could've afforded it," murmured Lavender Brown as she folded her arms across her chest in the library that morning. She was sitting with Parvati Patil and Ginny Weasley, who looked nervous, as if Hermione would walk in on them at any given minute.

"What if it was just a gift?" piped Ginny.

"It _wasn't_. You know her reputation. That whole Polyjuice incident? Seriously, she's another year older but not another year wiser. She should be the one to clear things up already," huffed Lavender impatiently, curling a lock of her brilliant brown hair around her index finger.

"But what if she didn't do it?" asked Ginny quickly, feeling her heart beat faster.

"Who _else_ could it have been?" frowned Lavender. "With regards to that new necklace, she probably pretended to be some rich Slytherin girl. Those nasty bitches…"

"With the Polyjuice? It was probably just a gift, Lavender. Let it go," sighed Ginny.

"You'll tell _me_ to let it go when she has a go at Harry," shrugged Lavender. "But don't worry; she wouldn't do that to a fellow girlfriend, would she? After all, she already did it to Luna…"

Ginny's jaw dropped, feeling guilt trickle in even more.

Lavender was clearly going over the top. And as she turned around slightly to see who was coming, she thought she noticed a blur of wavy brown twist at a corner. And she thought she noticed who just had the most unforgettable birthday.


	37. Bruises

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! Yeah, sorry if this chapter feels rushed. I just don't want it to seem to…"slowed". Anyways, this is my new year's present to you guys. It might not be much. But Happy New Year! Have a good one. I know I uploaded this at like, 12 AM, my time. So I don't know what time it might be in your time zone…but yeah, Happy New Year!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 37: BRUISES

Draco Malfoy cringed and rolled his silvery eyes when he spotted a dark haired girl walking up to him with a big pout across her face. He shot a look at Theodore Nott, who merely shrugged and looked into his goblet of pumpkin juice. Ugh, _Parkinson_. What a fucking disease, thought Draco. Did she seriously think that bunching up her skirt like that made her look better? Sure, her legs may have looked decent, but with everything bunched up under her sweater, her hips looked monstrously wide.

"Draco, Theo," grinned Pansy, trying her best to show off her pearly whites as she took a seat beside Draco, nudging him playfully. He was single and she knew it. She then looked over at Blaise with a flirty look in her eyes. "Blaise."

Blaise gave her a disgruntled look and cleared his throat in response.

"How are you feeling, Draco?" cooed Pansy. Her voice had gone from flirty to caring.

"Fine," lied Draco. He was actually uncomfortable and made even more uncomfortable having to sit beside Pansy. What was she going to do? Feel him up? He rolled his eyes as he focused his attention on the Gryffindor table. A wavy haired brunette was missing, he decided. _The_ way haired brunette was missing. Since he gave her that necklace last night, and since they kissed, he wasn't able to let it go. He knew it was a stupid experiment, but something about her just stuck to him.

"You know, I was cheering for you yesterday," purred Pansy, disturbing Draco from his thoughts as her fingers trailed over Draco's chest. He tried to shrug her off, but he couldn't find the strength in his body to do so. She continued with a sultry voice that made the handsome blonde boy cringe. "It sucks that you guys lost. I mean, it sucks that _we_ lost."

"Mm," murmured Draco. His perfect lips met with the rim of his goblet.

"We haven't chatted in so long, Draco," whined Pansy. "We should take time to you know, catch up."

He nearly wanted to puke.

"I'm actually kind of busy right now," he croaked sourly.

"That's not what I hear," murmured Pansy. She shot a hopeful look at Theodore for a moment. She then traced spiral patterns over Draco's torso, while leaning against him gently so that her chest touched his arm. He tried to edge away as he cleared his throat. "Kicking girls out of your dorm for wanting a quickie. There's also just _lying_ there on the bed. Clearly you've been depressed and need someone to make you feel…better."

Her lips were against his ear as he said this, which made him cringe and scowl at Theodore, who shrugged and flushed pink for a second. Draco just wanted to shove Pansy off in front of the whole school. Everyone already knew he was a heartbreaker. _Seriously_, he thought that he was going to hear the last of Pansy draping herself all over him. But _no_, she just had to come back, did she? That's what girls never understood. That after they were used, like tools, they were useless. And Pansy was one of those girls that would keep coming back. Sometimes Draco wondered if there were girls who _could_ be useful. Maybe girls like Hermione Granger. He muttered something under his breath as his eyebrows knit together.

"If you need me, just holler," purred Pansy. With one last seductive stare, she swiveled her hips out of the Great Hall, expecting Draco to follow. He merely sat there like a log, shaking his head at Theodore.

"Sorry, mate!" he exclaimed. He then leaned in closer to Draco with a conspiratorial smirk on his face. Blaise blinked twice and listened. "But you're going to tell me what happened with Granger last night. I mean, when I saw her last night…"

The boys couldn't help but notice the dazed expression on Theodore's face.

"Okay," winced Blaise, rolling his eyes. "We're eating."

"To answer your question, Theo; it went fine. She really liked the necklace," he replied softly and as casually as possible.

"_And_?" urged Blaise. He tried not to sound too enthusiastic because anyone who wanted to shag the mudblood was beyond him. Then again, he didn't know what type of body remained hidden underneath all those layers of clothes.

"Kissed, that's it," replied Draco sourly. Were they expecting something?  
"No shagging on the hospital bed?" joked Blaise.

"I had a bruised chest after coughing up blood and being hit by a Bludger," he retorted sarcastically. He faintly recalled having horrible sex with a blonde fourth year when he was in his fifth year after he hurt himself during a practice. He shuddered to the thought of that. Well, it hadn't ruined his reputation or even bruised his ego for that matter; but it _had_ reduced the poor girl to tears of disappointment.

He thought about Hermione again. His kisses on her lips, her tongue exploring his mouth so eagerly, yet so hesitantly…he wondered how red her lips would be after being thoroughly kissed. They'd avoided each other's gazes throughout Potions this morning and Draco knew it was weird because he never cowered from any one of his escapades. But heck, this was _Granger_, the know-it-all and the bright witch of their age. She most definitely wasn't the prude that everyone thought she was.

-

Harry Potter winced as he looked around the dusty old classroom. The floorboards creaked and the whole room reeked so badly it reminded him of Dudley Dursley's unwashed laundry. Not only was the smell horrible, but the _state_ of the room was horrible. It seemed as if it hadn't been used for two decades though Harry wouldn't have been surprised if this was true. He tried his hardest not to roll his eyes when Draco Malfoy walked into the classroom with a look of disgust plastered across his face. Obviously someone like _him_ from a rich pureblood family wasn't used to this type of treatment. Harry could imagine Draco thinking of a list of things that were wrong with the room. What was he going to do? Go owl his father? He managed to hide a snicker as Draco whipped his head over in his direction, throwing him a warning look.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy, I see that you've grown…acquainted with the room."

The voice was flat, steely and belonged to Professor McGonagall. Harry tried to look friendly to the old witch but Draco looked her up and down like she was a piece of dead fish he'd like to throw in the fire. He sniffed for a moment, noticing the vile smell that the room had to offer. Professor McGonagall, as well, placed her index finger under her nose.

"Right, so what's our punishment?" muttered Draco impolitely, with an equally flat and steely voice. Harry couldn't have missed the raised eyebrow from Professor McGonagall. He gulped.

"I will be back in an hour to check on you two, who will clean the room with _these_ cloths and _this_ bucket of water," nodded the old witch. She took out her wand and waved it around a few times with little lip movement from her incantation and produced two brown cloths and a wooden bucket filled with water. They both sat on a dusty desk. "I will also need your wands. There is to be no magic used. Have I made myself clear?"

The boys grumbled in response.

As Professor McGonagall slid her own wand back into her robes, she also took the boys' wands eagerly. Draco groaned as he looked at the cloths that were left behind on the table. It was a total house elf thing to do. To clean a _classroom_ that was unused. Was this an awful joke or what? The worst part was that he had to do this with _Potter_. He was way above that.

"Wonderful, doing _mudblood_ work," murmured Draco contemptuously, as soon as he noticed that Professor McGonagall had left the classroom. The eerie silence that took over the two boys before had been over.

"_What_ did you just say, Malfoy?" spat Harry.

His voice was mean and sharp, like a hot knife through butter. The look on his face was filled with loathing, as if he wanted to kill Draco for saying that. Well, he didn't have a wand. He couldn't have hurt Draco enough if he tried. But the blonde boy merely smirked. He wasn't afraid.

"I _said_, we're doing mu –"

Faster than Draco could say "mudblood", Harry had thrown down the dry brown cloth that Professor McGonagall had left behind for them. His hand was scrunching up the collar of Draco's uniform, which made him writhe for about two seconds in discomfort. After those two seconds, he smirked. It was another one of his sneering smirks – one that Harry just wanted to slap off of his face and make him cry like a baby, go running to his father.

"Now, now, Potter! What will the old bat say when she walks in here?" drawled Draco. He sounded sarcastic and cruel. His voice trickled like cold water against icicles. As he inched his face over to Harry challengingly, showing off his perfect bone structure, Harry felt the temptation to spit in his face. He was _daring_ him to slap him, to pummel him, to take a punch. But he wouldn't. He wasn't going to. He wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing him so bent over it. Besides, he'd been at it for years, that sick bastard. He may as well have continued and it wouldn't have made a difference, right?

"Git," murmured Harry as he let go of Draco. It was quite a funny scene because he was taller and more built than Harry. He was also more handsome, more sculpted, probably more enthusiastic…

"Try something I haven't heard," retorted Draco, smoothing out the wrinkles that Harry put in his shirt. Harry merely backed off and shot him a disgusted look before resuming the task – suffering detention.

-

Damn that old bat and her detention. Draco Malfoy still smelled like dust and rags from the unnecessary of bruising of his ego. He wasn't going to forget the satisfied smirk on Pothead's face. Throughout the entire hour, which felt like a whole bloody day, he could almost literally _hear_ Harry Potter laughing at him, mocking him. Well, at least he had a father! He took another turn around the hall, going up a staircase that connected him to another platform. He had no idea where he was going but he didn't care. He continued to walk, walk through the dimly lit halls. Surely there'd be nobody around here. Heck, he hadn't even wandered this part of the school before.

He took a couple steps, admiring the vines that crept in the arch of the ceiling that led into the hall. The vines were stone, carved into the school's ceiling and walls that merged with the cool, smooth ground beneath his feet. Torches were lit up on opposite ends of the hall. It was actually peaceful, aside from the occasional whispering noises. He shrugged that noise off. It was probably just the building – or some couple shagging in a corner. He smirked to himself. Oh how _they'd_ be in trouble for that. He followed the noise as cautiously as possible, peering over a bust of some big nosed wizard. He half expected to find a screaming couple, unclothed and all over each other. He smirked as his eyes lingered the area. Those silvery eyes, just scanning the ground beneath him…

"Granger?"

Two watery brown orbs looked up to see who was calling her. She should've known. _Malfoy_. She winced as she buried her face back into her knees, curling up into a little ball before feeling a bit of weight beside her. An arm brushing along hers. She wiggled her bottom against the floor, edging away from Draco.

"Are you just going to keep avoiding everyone? Forming a little bubble around you?" asked Draco quietly. Hermione couldn't tell if his voice was laced with sarcasm and rudeness, or if it was out of genuine curiosity and care. Pah! As if a Malfoy was capable of caring.

"Shut up," sniffled Hermione with a muffled voice as her lips were buried against her sweater.

"It's your birthday, go celebrate with your Gryffindorks," murmured Draco. His voice was like a thousand pins pricking at her heart. He probably knew. He probably knew they didn't like her anymore. She was probably just as friendless as he was. Well, at least he had acquaintances. She didn't even think she had those anymore.

"The day's been horrible," she found herself saying, just spitting out to this boy that'd been tormenting her for years. She looked up meekly, her eyes meeting his. The expression on his face was unreadable, as if he wanted to say something, but he was thinking of a way to let it out. A wave of confusion crashed over Hermione. When was he going to leave and laugh in her face? When was he going to end the charade?

But there was no charade, was there? He would've been laughing at her by now if it was…

No, he didn't care. Draco Malfoy didn't care. He was incapable.

"Why?"

She swallowed hard, running her velvety tongue over her dry – like paper – lips, for a moment.

"My birthd –"

"Wow, you're crying over a bloody birthday."

"Fuck yes!" she wanted to yell. But she didn't. She merely cowered, lowering herself on the wall.

"For the brightest witch of our age, you must be pretty dim. There's more to life than a horrible birthday, you know," he said icily.

"Oh, _you'd_ know, oh spoiled one," snapped Hermione. Draco raised one eyebrow. Instead of yelling back at her, his lips formed a thin line and his eyes narrowed, as if he was going to figure her all out.

"You have parents who love you. My father –" he murmured. He'd cut himself off for a quick change of topic. There was a glint in his eyes, as if something triggered him. Hermione raised one eyebrow, it was rather difficult for her to do so, with all her scowling. But she waited for him to continue in a different tone of voice. It was sweeter, almost like honey. "Hey, your parents could be –"

"What, _dead_?" she asked, staring into his eyes. She was looking for warmth, compassion, anything. There was something there though – on the tip of her tongue. She just couldn't figure it out. "Sorry, I'm not as cruel as you."

"I sure hate you, Granger. But I'd never dream of your parents getting killed."

Hermione scoffed and muttered something under her breath. Her lips curled.

"You're funny."

"No, I'm serious. I know I'm a git but I'm not _that_ sick."

She gave him a hard look, scanning his face for something – _again_. When she thought she'd done enough, she nodded and ran her a few fingers under her eyes to wipe away at her tears. They were beginning to sting her skin with saltiness.

"I guess you're not, huh?"

"You're always so miserable. That's why they don't want to be around you," he said. He had no idea what he was saying or what the real situation was. But he knew that getting all _sappy_ with feelings and emotions was really getting to him. Actually, he didn't even know why he was sitting beside her right now. Maybe he was sympathetic?

"It's not just that," sighed Hermione. She made her voice sound as miserable as possible.

"You're pathetic," he scoffed. He thought he heard a sizzle come from Hermione when he'd said that. He swallowed hard. Fuck, he wasn't afraid. What could she do? Hex him? In front of nobody? There'd be nothing more humiliating than this day, he decided. Well, he knew there _were_ a few things worse but he wasn't going to let his mind linger there. He knew he too, was pathetic. He knew why. It wasn't something he liked to discuss. It was the reason for _everything_ he did – who he was – how he acted.

"Now _why_ would you say that?" she spat. She sat up straighter, with clenched teeth.

"Because you, like me…" he began. Hermione nodded, unable to comprehend what he was getting at. "Cannot control our emotions. But you more than I, cannot control emotion."

No, he was _wrong_. He was wrong, wrong, wrong! Hermione Granger _wasn't_ pathetic!

"I didn't know you could feel emotion," she mumbled. What? What kind of lame comeback was that?

"I _can_. I live for more than sex, drinking and women, you know," he scoffed. Who did she think he was? Blaise Zabini? "But I don't _ever_ have to prove anything to the likes of you. Get that through your thick skull, Granger."

Hermione stared at him again, willing him to look back at her. She should've been angry but she wasn't. She continued looking at him, her eyes _pleading_, almost _begging_ him to look back. She felt a stab of guilt. He was just like her, she thought. In the sense that they were both feeling sorry for themselves, possibly. It hit her like a sharp blow to the jaw and she could almost feel the blood. _It_. Self-pity. Feeling sorry for oneself. _Being pathetic_. Draco probably did it on his own and liked to play "hero", while Hermione played "damsel" and moped about for the world to see. She wasn't _trying_ to – but it was just something she did.

She continued to stare, but he wouldn't look back. His eyes were fixed to the ground, to the solid gray ground that lay beneath them – cold stone, like his eyes.

"Your father…" she mumbled. She licked her dry lips again. "You said something about him."

"What _about_ my father?" he asked angrily. He grew rather sensitive when anybody mentioned him.

"I don't know. When you t-told me earlier…you were talking about your father and then you s-skipped the topic and went on about how my parents could be d-dead, and how that would be horrible," she said. An image of her parents slain, with blood dripping across their necks and their eyes open, filled with tears that would dry on their skin…it was unbearable. But Draco wasn't responding. Perhaps he was thinking of what to say or perhaps he was speechless. He merely sat there, waiting for her to continue. "So you're right, Malfoy. You're right. I _am_ pathetic because I'm feeling sorry for myself. If I really want something done, I should be working for it. I shouldn't have a bone of self-pity in my body."

It wasn't something she was willing to admit everyday. But fuck, why did he have to be right? Damn it, _working_ for it? Right, this wasn't like the muggle world – where justice would work. Well, there _was_ the Wizenmagot…but this was different. This whole entire issue was different, and she felt stupid all this time feeling bad for herself when she could've done something about it instead of running away. Her eyes burned as she blinked away tears.

_Life was unfair_. She was told this once, or perhaps, a few hundred times by her parents and peers when something went wrong.

"Mudblo – _Granger_," he drawled. Hermione's eyes met his. He thought he noticed her move closer to him just slightly. He could smell that vanilla scent she wore, that she _had_. It was _her_. Everything about her just filled him at that moment like frothy ale that overflowed a clear, glass bottle. He gulped. "You should get back. Your _friends_ are probably worried."

She merely continued to stare.

"I don't think they're my friends, Malfoy."

"Stop being so pathetic…you're always so self-righteous and snotty that it's _annoying_."

"Well, I'm sorry for believing in something! I'm sorry I'm capable of _loving_."

Hadn't he put her down enough already? She already admitted that she was pathetic, and that itself was enough of a pathetic display of…"patheticness" – if that was even a word.

"And I'm not?" he asked, staring into her eyes – dark brown eyes staring back at him. She inched closer to him for a moment. Her fingertips met his supple lips. Oh if words could describe the fluttering feeling in her body, she'd be damned. Oh _fuck_, this was Malfoy. He just called you pathetic, she told herself. She pulled back as Draco merely stared at her, his face void of expression, as if Hermione's touch stole the last bit of stoniness he had. His lips parted. "You should go."

She wanted to know about his father though. He obviously wasn't particularly _caring_ or _loving_ for that matter. That's when Hermione saw Draco for who he was. He was just a neglected little boy, wasn't he? He grew up with half the love most children were used to. It was why he had such a chilly exterior. It was why he was such a bloody _git_, such a little wanker. And the weirdest part was that she found herself feeling _sorry_ for him.

Hmm…so maybe she'd gotten older _and_ wiser after all.


	38. Cuts

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! Also, here's a note. Small change of plot! Well, it probably won't have that much effect. But it was my old plot idea…re-twisted. I'm also getting sick of the way I write and I'm thinking of changing my writing style but that'll take a long time. Eh, I'll try to improve later.  
_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 38: CUTS

Cuts were always deeper than bruises. Hermione Granger always knew. Bruises took less time to heal and though they may not always have seemed "that bad", they were only bad to the bearer of such purple blotchiness. She realized that last night. She realized that life wasn't going to end just because of a horrible birthday, or losing a couple of friends – even if those friends seemed like her life. No, life would go on. It was her new mantra – "Life goes on". It may have sounded dingy, hippie, totally _out_; but it seemed like the right thing. She was going to learn to control her emotions. Even if that advice was from Draco bloody Malfoy, it still made sense to her and since then, she'd been a slightly happier person.

Then again, thinking about such optimism. There had to be something _horrible_ about Draco's life for him to be able to say that, huh? His father. It was all because of him, wasn't it? Hermione sighed to herself as she sat in the Great Hall for lunch. The morning had zipped by relatively quickly. Charms with Lavender Brown hadn't exactly _charmed_ her character though Lavender and Ron were sitting a little too closely to each other for comfort. She knew it was just a little display from Lavender – to see if she could _bruise_ Hermione. It hurt, Hermione knew it did, because Ron was too blind to see the type of person that Lavender Brown was. She was a tart, a bitch – she could be nice, but she was a fake bitch. And though the thought of them being together may have _grazed_ her skin a little bit, it didn't cut her, nor did it bruise. She would convince herself of that. It _wasn't_ going to hurt her more than it had to.

Damn, she hoped she wasn't going all emotionless. No, she was being _strong_, she thought. Hermione Granger was not pathetic. Feeling emotion didn't make one pathetic – not being able to control them made one pathetic…right?

She was _seventeen_ for Merlin's sake!

"Hey 'Mione, when do you reckon the next Hogsmeade weekend is?" queried Ron sullenly. He'd asked that question about five times to five different people and it _seemed_ as if Hermione was his last resort. She sure _seemed_ to be because Lavender was one jealous pig.

"This coming Saturday," she replied flatly, with the same enthusiasm as Ron had.

Lavender shot a look at Ron, who smiled back nervously. Ron nodded thanks at Hermione, who was jittering in her seat from her fourth cup of tea. There was Astronomy tonight and she had to stay up. She couldn't afford to make mistakes in class. Professor Sinistra already noticed her lack of rest. "You're so hardworking," she told Hermione softly. Hermione still remembered. But she didn't really take it as a compliment. She already knew she was hardworking – but lately, not hardworking _enough_. She was too busy with her own problems.

"Hermione, you're still wearing that _pretty_ necklace of yours," said Lavender as her eyes lingered on the purple gemstone that hung from Hermione's neck. She nudged Ron, who merely flushed red around the ears. Expensive gift plus annoying girlfriend equaled broke Gryffindor redhead. Hermione smirked.

"Well spotted," she replied sarcastically.

"Who's it from?" asked Lavender quickly. Ginny shot her a warning look while she pulled away from her ever so interesting conversation with Harry.

"A friend," replied Hermione as breezily as possible. As if Draco constituted as a friend, she decided. People were looking at her. She took a sip of her tea and nearly wanted to knock the cup over for being so hot. It was scalding. She noticed that Lavender was waiting for a better response. What was this? A test? "I've had it for a while now."

"Yeah, I'll say," frowned Lavender.

Before Hermione could roll her eyes, a silvery pair met hers. The feeling was indescribable. It was awkward. Why the hell was Draco Malfoy looking at her? She nodded at him, waiting for him to nod back before she was drawn into another one of Lavender's petty discussions. But even as she tried to listen to Lavender go on about minor details of her life, raving about Ron and occasionally pissing Hermione off, she still felt those two gray orbs burning into her – and she was quite convinced that she wasn't imagining them.

-

"Well, well…if it isn't Granger."

Hermione Granger sat alone in a corner of the library. Nobody was around. _Nobody_. Well, that is until _he_ showed up. Hermione had been doing her homework, just simple work in which she wanted to do alone – sans disturbance. She rolled her eyes as she placed a lock of her wavy brown hair behind an ear, revealing a pretty violet stud in the shape of a flower. Draco grimaced. Muggle jewelry, he thought. It wasn't horrible looking but it wasn't something he saw often seeing that he was so used to Narcissa Malfoy's diamonds and gold.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" she asked sharply without looking up from her parchment. She knew his voice. Right now it was rich, seductive, low, and somewhat menacing or threatening.

"Here to do my homework, Granger. In fact, you're in my seat," he murmured as he looked down at her with his arms folded across his chest. He looked handsome with his shirt halfway tucked into his trousers. His tie was hardly in proper place and he looked as if he'd just had a wonderful make out session with some girl in a closet. While this was probably not the case, Hermione didn't want to think about him. She was going to finish her work, eat dinner, nap and then head off to Astronomy.

"You can have it if you tell that third year Hufflepuff to get out of _my_ usual seat," she winced. "In the other section…"

She was still looking down at her parchment while skimming an old black textbook in front of her. The pages were slightly damaged. With a sigh from the lack of responsiveness from Draco, she looked up to meet his gray eyes, staring into her brown ones. _Control_, she told herself.

"Oh, you hurt my feelings, Granger. Now I'll go off and cry to Dumbledore about it," he said, with a mocking tone of voice.

"I didn't know you had fee –" she cut herself off before she could continue, feeling a hot blush in her cheeks. Right, they'd talked about this briefly last night. She still felt a sting of embarrassment. She'd admitted that she was pathetic – in front of Draco Malfoy of all people. Then again, he seemed to show a soft side of him as well, one that Hermione had never seen before. "Sorry."

"As if that does anything, Granger. Look, I'm just going to sit over _there_ then," he said, with an air of annoyance in his voice. He didn't have to tell her that but somehow it just came out. Hermione watched as he turned on the heel of his black shoes and sat at the table closest to her, yet there was about two meters of space in between them. She didn't say anything, but merely wanted to slap herself for being rude.

_Hermione stared at him again, willing him to look back at her. She should've been angry but she wasn't. She continued looking at him, her eyes pleading, almost begging him to look back. She felt a stab of guilt. He was just like her, she thought. In the sense that they were both feeling sorry for themselves, possibly. It hit her like a sharp blow to the jaw and she could almost feel the blood. It. Self-pity. Feeling sorry for oneself. Being pathetic._

She bit her lip, recalling yesterday's conversation quite vividly.

"I really mean it, Malfoy. I'm sorry," she muttered. She hadn't expected him to hear it. But when he turned his head to face hers, a table away, she realized that she must've been louder than she thought. She nodded, and then continued to stare at him whereas he rolled his eyes and muttered "mudblood" under his breath.

Hermione in turn, rolled her eyes as well. She had enough of Draco and him putting her down. Maybe he was just fooling her – like a git, she decided. But he was right. She _had_ been pathetic. She looked down at her textbook once more, and was fed up with work. She was ahead anyways. Standing up, she merely stormed out of the empty section of the library, only surprised to see Theodore Nott standing by the entrance with a guilty look on his face. His beautiful dark blue eyes, she thought. She shot him a look and walked off without thinking about it.

-

"Bye Professor Sinistra! See you next week," grinned a freckly blonde as she left the Astronomy classroom. She yawned into her palm and walked off with a group of equally freckly girls that giggled as they walked past Draco Malfoy and his smug smile. His eyes lingered on one of the girl's long, slim legs and he smirked while he heard a huff come from the desk in front of him.

"_Boys_," the voice muttered.

Hermione Granger stuffed a rolled up piece of parchment into her overstuffed knapsack and slung it over her shoulder with an eye roll. Her hair was a little wavy and crimped, just the way she liked it. Placing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her hair was in a perfect makeshift bun again – something she rarely had.

"What was that, Granger?" asked Draco Malfoy coolly as he swaggered over to her. His palms were pressed into the wooden desks and he looked down at Hermione with an amused expression on his face. He looked the same as earlier, only a little more worn out, tired, bushed…

"Forget it," snapped Hermione. Her knapsack was heavily dangling off one shoulder uncomfortably.

"It's hard to forget things sometimes, you know," frowned Draco. His eyes narrowed.

"I'll say," sighed Hermione, with another eye roll. She stood in front of Draco and watched him pack his belongings. She merely stood there like an idiot, _waiting_ for him.

"Careful, Granger, I think I see some drool at the corner of your mouth," said Draco haughtily. Hermione self-consciously ran her index finger over both sides of her lips and frowned at him.

"Fine, I didn't know why I was waiting for you anyways," spat Hermione honestly. She looked around and noticed that they had the classroom to themselves. With her nose in the air like a spoiled brat, she began to walk past Draco Malfoy, ignoring him completely until she felt his fingers around her wrist. Turning around with an angry look on her face, she merely glared at him.

"And I bet I know why," he drawled, in a low, almost seductive voice.

"Then I'd suggest you keep your _thoughts_ to yourself," frowned Hermione. She looked down at her wrist. "Do you mind? You're hurting me."

Draco's face contorted into a menacing one.

"Well, that's never stopped me before now, has it?" he queried softly. "But I like to play games, don't you?"

"Not with you," she replied, through gritted teeth. Her knapsack was growing heavier by the second. If Draco could let go, then she could go back to the Gryffindor Tower and get to sleep.

"But I want to play," he purred, stepping into her as she was backed up against a desk. She felt her bottom being shoved against it painfully, making her gasp as Draco walked into her more, staring into her confused brown eyes. He studied her face, as if he was to memorize it. She looked nice with her hair up, he decided. She was usually hiding such a pretty face behind her tame waves.

"Look, it's late, Malfoy. I don't have _time_ for your games," she huffed. Her knapsack dropped off of her shoulder and onto the floor with a light thud and she looked down at it helplessly. Now she couldn't even pick it up and whack it in his face. But as if she would like to ruin such a handsome face, she thought. Ugh, what was she thinking? _Control_, she told herself again.

"You can't resist though," he murmured, moving in even closer until their bodies were glued. His eyes closed as he planted the softest, gentlest kisses along Hermione's neck. They were the lightest, feather light kisses. Her eyes fluttered as she inhaled his sweet scent. She sighed as his lips roamed higher up onto her chin, grazing over her lips. Her knees felt weak and just as she moved forward to strengthen their lip contact, he moved back, pulling away as Hermione nearly fell over on her before her hands caught the side of the desk. She flushed furiously as she looked down.

"Bloody balance," she remarked lamely.

"I told you, you couldn't resist me," grinned Draco smugly.

"I can _too_ resist," she huffed. He moved closer this time and she felt herself redden even more, if that was possible. He smirked at her as his fingers met her face, cupping her soft, youthful face in his hand. His thumb lightly trailed over her flaming cheek. Hermione blinked nervously as that thumb went over her lips, just parting her supple, kissable lips and drawing her closer to his face. She felt her heart racing, beating so quickly and loudly that she thought the whole room was going to break into a massive earthquake.

"Control your emotions, Granger. I thought we covered that yesterday," said Draco flatly. He let go of her and backed away just slightly, giving their faces about five inches of distance. Hermione's eyes lingered over Draco's pink lips for a moment. They were so perfect – if only he hadn't wasted such perfect lips on smirking and sneering, and obviously, with rude remarks.

"Actually," she said, clearing her throat. Draco looked over at her. "We didn't cover something yesterday."

Draco's face contorted as he raised his eyebrows.

"What didn't we cover? You know…I'm not your professor or anything. I don't _have_ to t –"

"Your father."

Draco looked taken aback, as if he was shocked. They'd skipped this topic yesterday purposely. Hermione sighed as it all slipped out. She was too curious to know what made Draco who he was. Yes, she knew that his father was cruel – she'd met his better-than-thou self before. He was a pureblood fanatic, how could she forget? But now, she was focused on Draco. She was determined to find the softer side of him but most of the time she was convinced that it didn't exist. She'd seen bits of it – but that itself was not enough proof for its existence.

"What about him?" queried Draco. His voice was steely, and his eyes couldn't meet Hermione's.

"Tell me about him," said Hermione. She was trying to be strong but her shaky voice showed otherwise. Draco let out a defeated sigh and shook his head. She continued. "Why not?"

"We're not even friends, Granger. Why should I have to tell you anything?" he scoffed.

"Please?" she asked. Never in her life did she expect herself to ever _ask_ Draco for a favour. Never in her life had she imagined befriending him. No, they weren't friends. But it sure seemed like they had interesting chats. Besides, never in Draco's life had he imagined spending this much time alone with a mudblood. It wasn't that bad, she was sort of nice – but ugh, she was still friends with Pothead and Weasel, right? Not really, they sort of ousted her from their little group…

"Fine," he sighed. He wasn't going to do anything interesting when he got back to his dorm anyways. He'd probably see Theodore engrossed in a book and Blaise with a group of girls draping themselves all over him. He wrinkled his nose at the thought of that.

"So…your father loves you, doesn't he?" she began. She didn't know where this was headed and he'd probably end up blowing up in her face. She tried not to think about that. This was her time to find out who Draco Malfoy was under that mask of haughtiness.

Draco merely rolled his eyes in response. This wasn't the time for a heart to heart conversation. He wasn't exactly in the mood anymore. He never felt comfortable about talking to people about his father anyways. Besides, if he wasn't going to tell his Slytherin friends, then why was he going to talk to Hermione about it?

Talk about change of heart.

"Look, I don't know how I ever agreed to this," he sighed.

"He doesn't love you, does he?" she continued. Why did she have to be so bloody persistent?

"No…yes – I don't know, Granger. Stop being like bloody Skeeter," he frowned.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. She was _nothing_ like Rita Skeeter. She hated that woman, writing garbage for the newspaper. She recalled when she wrote horrible things about Hermione's "romance" with Harry. It didn't even exist and she decided to blow it up and let it make the front page. Boy was she angry.

"I'm _nothing_ like her," she spat.

"Then don't assume that I'm like my father," he countered. While it was true that they both looked incredibly handsome, he didn't like to be thought of as horrible. Most of the time he built up a thick exterior to shield him from insults. Most of the time he told himself that he didn't care or give a damn for what people thought. But he _did_ care. Deep down inside he was just a little boy who never had enough love.

"I'm sorry," frowned Hermione. "Maybe we shouldn't talk about this then."

She was seeing how sensitive he was getting and she wondered if she'd even get out of the Astronomy Tower alive.

"I guess not," murmured Draco, his features softening up again. He bent over and picked up Hermione's huge knapsack and handed it to her without a grimace or a wince of pain. It was heavier than his, but with his muscle power, it didn't feel like anything to him. She mumbled thanks as she took it from him, wondering if he'd heard her at all.

The two of them walked out of the classroom slowly, side by side. Both of them didn't know if they should've spoken or not so they merely suffered in silence. Well, that was more like Hermione because she was very curious about Draco. With Draco, it was alright. He always wanted someone to speak to but he wasn't going to stoop down so low and be desperate and feel sorry for himself. He'd learn to cope with it. It was weird because he felt a little more respect for the mudblood. She was still a mudblood, of course. He knew that. But fooling around with her was funny, and sometimes thinking about her – well, he'd _forget_ about the experiment. He was mildly drawn to her, believe it or not and he didn't want to admit that to anybody.

"I go _this _way. Goodnight," said Hermione, as they were walking through a giant hall.

"Mm," he murmured casually. As he saw Hermione turn around and head off in a different direction, he took a few steps and sighed to himself. He turned around again. "Wait, Granger!"

"Yeah?" she asked. She faced him, with a couple of meters of space in between them. She waited as time ticked by. It was getting late and she didn't want anyone to catch her out of bed. She was beat, tired – and her knapsack was incredibly heavy.

"Maybe we should talk sometime – not about my father in specific. But you know, just talking," he said, his words hardly coming out of his mouth properly. He was rambling and he knew it. He didn't know what had prompted him to say them. But somehow, it just felt right. Hermione nodded in the distance and headed off, feeling Draco's gray eyes piercing through her body, _cutting_ through her clothes.

And once again, she felt naked.


	39. Bridges

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews!_

_

* * *

_CHAPTER 39: BRIDGES

Hogsmeade was always the subject of chatter whether it was where students would be headed, or where the latest "party" was at. It was also the subject of chatter for Ron and Lavender, who'd been talking about what they'd be doing on this fine Saturday. Ginny and Harry were getting closer as each day passed, which made Ron look at Harry in the nastiest way.

"That's my sister. Don't hurt her!" he'd told him.

Harry was actually afraid. He liked Ginny, but he liked Luna more. And as Luna and Seamus' relationship grew more intimate, Harry was unsure if he could take the jealousy anymore. He told nobody this though Ginny knew what was going on inside Harry's mind every time Luna and Seamus shared a kiss. Thank Merlin that Seamus never went into details about his physical relationship with Luna. He'd have none of it.

"So Harry, are you and Ginny going to go on your own or –"

Lavender looked at the two of them expectantly.

"Actually, we were planning on going to some place by ourselves," said Ginny sweetly, which earned a scowl from Ron. He was the protective brother. Yeah, he knew that Harry was a nice guy but he didn't trust Ginny, who grew feistier with each day. Who knew what she'd push Harry into doing? He tried not to think about it. They weren't even boyfriend and girlfriend. They were just two "people" who happened to be really friendly with each other. Heck, they hadn't even kissed, not once, not even on the cheek.

"Oh really?" smirked Lavender. Her eyebrow rose as she passed a look at Parvati, who nodded. Parvati was too busy chatting away with Dean Thomas, who she was now dating. Dean and Parvati seemed good enough together. Besides, it only left one girl in the dorm without a boy – Hermione Granger. And said single girl had decided to skip out on the Hogsmeade weekend. Besides, she'd hate to be third wheel with all the autumn love in the air.

"_Yes_, really," grinned Ginny. She turned to Ron. "So Ron, are you planning on getting anything nice for Lavender? I mean, she was totally looking for a new necklace."

Lavender winked at Ginny. Ron's face went red. He hadn't exactly been planning to get her anything at all. Then again…

"Wait," said Ron quickly. "Lavender, don't you already have that nice pink necklace? The one with the heart-shaped silver with gems inside?"

Lavender flushed faintly and placed her hand over the gems that were encrusted over half the heart. How could she forget? Ginny's jaw hung open as she urged Lavender to show her the necklace. It was so pretty.

"Actually, it was a gift from some – I mean, a long time ago," remarked Lavender in her feeble attempts to sound casual. She turned around for a moment, her eyes locking with a handsome boy. She then proceeded to unclasp the necklace. "It doesn't mean anything to me anymore."

"Then why are you still wearing it? You know, I only noticed it recently when we wer –"

"Too much information, Ron!"

"Sorry."

"Guys, let's just forget about the stupid necklace, okay? It doesn't mean anything to me."

-

"Oh Merlin," gasped Hermione, nearly falling into a bookshelf as she caught herself.

"Did I scare you?" asked Draco Malfoy, his lips forming a smirk.

Hermione shook her head and shoved a red and blue textbook back into the shelves. She'd been looking through a bunch of old textbooks to see which ones she hadn't read yet. To her surprise, she hadn't read a good bunch but she wasn't exactly interested in learning about the muggle world. She knew enough about it. Besides, the wizarding community may have been biased against them in the first place.

"What are you doing here?" queried Hermione in a dull tone of voice.

"What? Not even a hello, Granger?" he murmured.

"Fine, _hello_!" smirked Hermione. "Come for a little 'talk', now?"

She pressed her back against the bookshelf behind her and watched as Draco stood about ten inches away from her. She could've memorized his scent if she wanted to. Though they hadn't spoken for about three days, she could've still recognized him. His scent was just that distinguishable. But it wasn't as if he _radiated_ that scent. He just had it. It was part of him.

"Actually, I was wondering why you weren't headed out for the Hogsmeade weekend," he said softly. Hermione smiled at the softened Draco. She sort of liked him. She could definitely see friend potential in him though his flirting may have shown otherwise.

"Umm, I'm not really in the mood. Hogsmeade isn't even that great anyways," fibbed Hermione, unable to meet his gaze. "What about you?"

"Same," replied Draco quietly. He then continued in a more hushed tone of voice. He looked around and then let his eyes rest on Hermione again. "I'm also trying to avoid Pansy. The girl's a disease."

She's probably _got_ one anyways, thought Hermione to herself.

"And so you've come _here_ of all places," grinned Hermione. They had the whole section to themselves again but she was sure that Theodore Nott wasn't creeping about in certain corners. Besides, she wasn't even sure why she saw him last time. He was one weird kid.

"To hide. Then I saw you, and you decided not to go to Hogsmeade," he remarked coolly, folding his built arms across his chest.

"A Malfoy _hides_?" scoffed Hermione, with an amused expression on her face.

"Well, I hide as much as you do. Anyways, when are you going to fix your friendship up with Pothead and Weasel?" frowned Draco. He didn't know why he was trying to get so involved, but it just felt right to spit it all out.

"Like you really care," huffed Hermione. _Hormonal_, decided Draco.

"Hey, it's not cool to see someone miserable. Even if it _is_ you," he scoffed, smirking to himself.

"Since when did you start caring?" asked Hermione glumly.

_Uhh…since last night?_ Boys, always wanting what they couldn't have.

"Why don't you just tell me why?" asked Draco, his voice hinting a bit of impatience. Hermione tried to smile at him for a moment but she felt like her face was going to crack if she did. Telling him; she wasn't getting anything out of it. Besides, when she inquired upon his relationship with his father, he never told her. What was going on in his mind? Why did he believe that she would tell him something this important? Sure, she trusted him more. But if he couldn't trust her with information about Lucius Malfoy then she obviously couldn't have trusted him with information about her relationships with Harry and Ron.

"Why should I? It's not like I'm getting anything out of it," she replied bitterly. Draco's perfectly arched eyebrows shot up immediately.

"Wow, the girl bargains. Hmm, well…" he began. His eyebrows knitted together for a moment and Hermione couldn't help but wonder what this boy was all about. He looked up at her again with a blank expression on his face. "What if I told you about my father?"

He sounded so sure, yet so unsure at the same time. And although curiosity killed the cat, it was satisfaction that brought it back.

"Okay," replied Hermione, her eyes twinkling.

-

"Ron, thanks for the _beautiful_ earrings," smiled Lavender Brown as she gave Ron the sweetest of kisses on the lips in front of Ginny and Harry, who merely winced. Their original plans of splitting from the group had been changed. However, now Ginny and Harry wondered if they should've been off on their own if Ron and Lavender were going to have some horrible puppy love show.

"That certainly heated you up, didn't it?" grumbled Ginny under her breath. Lavender was being a tad pathetic. Ron didn't have to buy her those earrings though Ginny had hinted at the suggestion a while ago. Well, they were certainly pretty and they weren't _that_ expensive though it was evident to all that they were overpriced. Ginny examined the violet and silver chandelier earrings that hung from Lavender's ears.

"Ginny, umm…" began Harry. His voice was trailing off as Ginny turned back to face him. She had on a brown toque that matched her long suede coat that was a mix of earthy brown and a more clay-like colour. She had on her Gryffindor scarf and she merely smiled up at him, blushing as Lavender and Ron watched them.

"You guys coming or not? I've been looking forward to Honeydukes for a long time!" bellowed Ron. It earned a playful nudge from Lavender, who shook her head and grabbed his arm. They wandered off and Ron turned around for a moment to shoot a look at Harry, as if to tell him to keep his sister safe.

"So what were you saying?" queried Ginny, noticing the two lovebirds disappearing in the distance as the snowflakes settled on her pert nose. She stared into Harry's green eyes and blushed.

"I was just going to ask if you'd like to go to Madam Puddifoot's with me. Now that the two of them are gone anyways," replied Harry hesitantly. He wasn't as enthusiastic as Ginny on this one, but he felt the need to sit down after watching Ron and Lavender get the air all steamy – and he was sure that it wasn't the wintery air.

"Of course," smiled Ginny.

Madam Puddifoot's was a little tea shop that was popular among couples. Harry briefly recalled taking Cho Chang out on a date here one Valentine's Day. This was different though. Yeah, maybe Ginny thought it was a date and maybe she wanted to be with him. But Harry was just unsure of what to do. He'd decide later. The two of them sat down in a cozy corner under a dim light. It was sort of romantic, if you were into the dim lights and candles sort of thing. And maybe Ginny was just getting overly giddy about this. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all. If she misinterpreted anything…

"So…is there anything you want to say to me, Harry?" queried Ginny eagerly. She was totally expecting something. Harry mentally kicked himself.

"Umm…I like your hat," he murmured, nearly inaudibly.

"Come again?" asked Ginny. Her face felt hot, but it may have been from the fact that she'd just come in from the cold.

"I said I like your hat," he enunciated.

Ginny blinked twice in response.

"Thanks," she said disappointedly. She then bit her lip as she watched Harry bite his. Lush, pink, wet. Damn, she wanted to kiss him on the spot. But no matter. They were busy. They were busy playing tricks on each other, it would've been interesting to watch but really, it was lame and pathetic because neither of them knew what to say to each other. It was Harry's turn to catch the ball and throw it but it was as if he'd just let it bounce away from him and let it roll off to Ginny, who had no bloody idea what to do next.

Harry cleared his throat.

"Actually Harry, before you continue. I'd like you to speak with you later on. In private, in my dorm," murmured Ginny. She had no idea what she was getting at. But she thought that if she told him about how she felt about him – in private – with no disturbances, everything would be fine. Talking about something like this at Madam Puddifoot's just made her feel nervous. She wasn't going to wait for him to make the move because he'd already had his chance. And maybe, just maybe, if he returned those feelings for her – or even felt the need to, they'd have a snogging session of their own. Ginny tried to smirk at the thought of that but was too numb and nervous to move her lips.

"What will the others think though, if they see us?" queried Harry skeptically.

"They won't," replied Ginny snappily as she rubbed her cold hands together.

"Why not?" asked Harry. He did the same thing.

"Because you'll have your cloak and if anyone comes in you can hide. I just wanted to tell you something…really important," murmured Ginny, her sweet voice echoing in Harry's ears. He gulped. She was going to tell him how she felt, wasn't she?

-

"So _that's_ what you've been depressed over?"

Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were sitting on the floor of the library for what seemed like a good half hour. They were pretty comfortable, letting the eerie warmth envelope them. Nobody ever came in to stumble upon them. Besides, even if they _had_ seen the two of them chatting, it wasn't like anyone else would believe that a Slytherin and Gryffindor voluntarily sat together on a _floor_ of all places to discuss their problems.

"Yeah, I guess it's pretty stupid, huh?" asked Hermione, looking down at her knees. She actually hadn't realized how stupid the whole Polyjuice issue was until it came out of her mouth. And even if Draco thought she was stupid, at least now she figured something out.

"No offense, Granger. But I'm going to say this again – for a bright witch, you're hardly bright. It's pretty stupid of you to let the Weaselette trample all over you like that," frowned Draco. He was seriously expecting something more depressing from Hermione. Maybe this wasn't such a fair trade of information after all, he decided. But perhaps she grew up with more love, he thought. Even if she was going to be excluded now, in the future things would change and she'd be back to hating on him. But for him? Well, he was pretty much stuck this way, putting up a charade for the rest of his years.

"I know. But you know, I promised her! I even promised not to tell anyone and now I've broken it. I've lost her trust for sure now, huh?" she sighed. Draco wasn't usually the one for sappiness and Hermione knew. But what he was about to say next really tugged at her.

"And she lost you as a friend when she decided to be selfish. Besides, if you've broken her promise already by telling me. You may as well announce this whole issue to the rest of the Gryffindorks," he shrugged nonchalantly. He didn't really know much about friends but that Ginny Weasley was more of a bitch than he thought. He didn't like girls like her. Those girls were always snotty brats anyways. Girls who didn't know their place in the morality of things.

"But I can't really do that, can I?" she squeaked.

"So you're just going to let her keep walking over you? You've been keeping up with this for what – two weeks?" snapped Draco. Hermione grew a little afraid. He was getting angry. He wasn't angry with _her_ specifically. But he was getting angry over what they were discussing. He cared. Draco Malfoy cared, didn't he? He continued. "I know that I have a lack of friends but even as an acquaintance, the Weaselette isn't worth keeping if she won't own up to what she's done. Heck, her manipulating skills may be fit for Slytherin, but she'd earn more than a slap on the face for that. The least she could do is learn to cover up her tracks better."

Hermione wasn't really paying attention anymore at this point.

"Thanks, Malfoy. So…are you saying that I should just go interrogate her? I know she's going to say no. She told me she never –"

"You already told me that. But don't be such a martyr."

The brunette locked gazes with the blonde and he nodded at her reassuringly as he watched a blush creep down to her neck. He smirked. Maybe he had been encouraging after all. And really, this whole thing was pathetic because all Hermione could have done was break the promise. And she couldn't. She just let herself be weakened by a mere _child_.

"Okay, Malfoy. I guess you can tell me about your father now," sighed Hermione. Her tone of voice had grown from light to worried. Now that she felt better about herself, she still knew that Draco had problems that were probably harder to solve than her own. After all, it was harder to force someone to love you than force someone to confess their sins.

"Fine," he grumbled. He looked a little peeved. "Where do I start?"

"I don't know. How do you feel about him?" queried Hermione. Draco glanced down at the floor, avoiding the pretty brunette's gaze. What was this, an interview?

"I love him, hate him…hate his guts?" replied Draco. He sighed and then looked over at Hermione. He was hesitant. "You know, you're the first person I've really talked to – about my father, I mean. But I know that you were able to trust me with your _big_ problem."

He sounded a little sarcastic but Hermione couldn't blame him.

"Thanks for trusting me then."

She tried to sound mature, but she didn't know if it was working. Draco made no attempt to say anything afterwards. He was definitely not ready.

"You know, if you're not comfortable with talking about this, we don't have to," suggested Hermione kindly. She watched him cringe under the contact of their hands when Hermione reached over to put her hand on top of his. He wasn't used to such kindness. The only time a female had done that was when they'd be in bed together the next minute. This was different. Hermione actually cared – or seemed to, for that matter. She didn't know what made her touch him like that but she knew that it sucked real bad to be in her situation, but it surely sucked even more to be unloved.

"Thanks. I should go," he murmured. He began to stand up and Hermione remained on the floor like an idiot until he was about a couple meters away from her when he paced off. She could still feel his presence around her – his scent.

"Wait!" she called.

Draco turned around and their eyes locked again. A shiver went down Hermione's spine.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we could talk later when you're more comfortable."

"You don't really care, Granger," scoffed Draco. "You'll learn that it's difficult for me to place trust in others. And later on when your issues are fixed, we won't be anything to each other."

That was an excuse – a horrible excuse because he'd agreed earlier to talk about it. No, Draco just couldn't get his thoughts gathered properly to be able to talk to Hermione about his feelings. And since talking about feelings wasn't his forte, he supposed that neither was associating himself with Hermione Granger. But still, he wanted to get to know her more. She was different now in his eyes and not the same know-it-all genius that had punched him in their third year. And he knew that he was drawn to her – just ever so slightly and that wasn't supposed to happen.

Damn it, he was confused.

"Then we'll talk when you're ready," sighed Hermione, her voice doing nothing to mask her disappointment.

_Even if that means "never"._


	40. Confrontations

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! Enjoy this chapter. Hopefully I haven't ruined it! I didn't want the confrontation to be overly…dramatic – you know, with yelling and stuff. And boo, I'm going to start getting really busy soon so I may not always get the chance to read your reviews. But I'll probably still be aimlessly updating since I pre-write a few chapters (ahead). Also, I've been falling behind with this story because I'm too excited about working on my next story, about Theodore and Hermione, though I haven't written much._

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_CHAPTER 40: CONFRONTATIONS

Hermione Granger gathered up the courage to speak to Ginny Weasley after her encounter with Draco Malfoy. He was right – she was pathetic and didn't need to be a martyr. She had to stand up for herself for once. And while it disappointed her that he'd walked out on their little conversation, it would disappoint her even more if she didn't do what she was about to do – confront Ginny. She'd been able to sit in her dorm for a good while now and think about what she was going to do and how she was going to do it. She sort of just wanted this whole thing to be over. Besides, there was no way Harry Potter would want to be with a girl who lied behind his back to get him. Even if they _were_ in a tight relationship – Ginny and Harry – Harry had the damnest right to know the truth.

With a deep sigh, Hermione rapped twice on Ginny's dorm room door and told herself that everything would be fine. Man, she probably looked like a hyperventilating idiot right now.

"_Hide! Someone's coming…I don't know…what if it's Ron? Hurry!_"

Was that…Ginny whispering to someone? Hermione blinked twice. It was barely audible. When Hermione's eyebrows furrowed together, Ginny's door fell open to reveal a nervous and giddy redhead. Her toque was off and she had a few strands of red hair poking out in random angles. She was still dressed in her suede coat and looked rather surprised to see Hermione when she stepped through.

"Hi Hermione, what brings you here?" asked Ginny, trying to sound as casual as possible. Her lips were trembling.

Hermione tried to look around the room when Ginny wasn't looking. She _swore_ she heard Ginny talking to someone. As she heard Ginny ramble on in the background about Hogsmeade and Lavender and Ron's public displays of affection, Hermione hugged herself in the coldness of the room. She _swore_ she heard Ginny talking to someone though! She kept telling herself that until Ginny's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hermione? So what brings you here?" asked Ginny again, sitting on her bed and ignoring the mess her roommates around her made. Their beds weren't made and they hard random clothes scattered about the room as if they were trying to pick that perfect, pretty outfit for their Hogsmeade weekend.

"Actually, I'm here to talk to you about the Polyjuice incident," replied Hermione loudly. She had to settle this once and for all. She'd be pathetic not to.

"Umm," murmured Ginny. Her eyebrows knitted together as her face went red. She was looking at something in the background, behind Hermione. She then turned back to her brunette friend. "Look, right now isn't a good time for a chat. Let's talk in private later."

She was in such a rush to get her out of there.

"Why not, Ginny? Right now is a perfect time. We're _alone_ in your dorm. Nobody will come disturb us," reasoned Hermione. She noticed as Ginny's eyes were fixed on something behind Hermione – the wardrobe; a dark cherry wood wardrobe-like closet with bits of splintered wood around it. _Beside_ the wardrobe was more like it. Hermione's eyes narrowed as she thought she saw some light flicker beside it. She then turned around and tried to sound breezy and cool. "Besides, I want this to be settled once and for all. I'm sick of taking _your_ blame."

"I d-don't know what you're t-talking about, Hermione," stuttered Ginny. Her face was ashen with nervousness as her red hair fell into her freckled face. Hermione smirked to herself. She wasn't the brightest witch at Hogwarts for nothing.

"Don't even _go_ there, Ginevra Weasley. You're just afraid to admit your wrongs. That you basically _threw_ me into that horrible position and turned everyone against me!" declared Hermione. There seemed to be a light rattling noise in the background. Hermione knew well what it was – maybe even who it was, under a certain special cloak.

"Don't make up _lies_, Hermione. I n-never saw you as a liar, you know that!" argued Ginny.

"I think it's time you stopped playing with everyone's heads. It was you who told me to get the Polyjuice. It was _you_ that made me promise not to tell a soul. And it was _me_ that took all the blame. Why can't you just admit that you took the Polyjuice and pretended to be Luna?" huffed Hermione, her face growing redder. Boy, did it feel good to let it all out! Under normal consequences, she wouldn't have repeated the entire situation, but _someone_ had the right to know.

Ginny blinked quickly as she stood up. Her knees felt like jelly at this accusation and she began to see white spots as her face reddened.

"I did no such thing, Hermione! No wonder you have no more friends!" gasped Ginny. She was doing a horrible job of keeping her cool. Anyone could see that she was the liar, denying everything that was being thrown at her.

Hermione's eyes narrowed and she folded her arms across her chest. She'd won and she'd only stepped in the room for about three minutes.

"Grow a conscience, Ginevra Weasley!" she muttered, as she turned around and stormed out of the dorm room. She hadn't forgotten to shoot a fleeting glance at the wardrobe. For all she knew, she could've just ruined a friendship between her and Ginny. But it was worth it, she supposed. The friendship wasn't even going to be real if Ginny kept using her like that. She knew that the only reason she'd denied things was because _someone_ else was in the room. Harry and everyone else had the right to know.

_Fuck_, thought Ginny, falling to her knees. She was so screwed.

-

"Ginny!" yelled Harry, seeing red. He hadn't felt this much anger since Draco insulted him in first year. He wasn't going to hurt her, no. But he knew that she was on the verge of tears just that she was too proud to do anything about it. The Gryffindor common room had pretty much been cleared other than the presence of Seamus, Lavender tagging along to Ron, who stood beside Harry and Ginny.

"What is it, Harry? Are you here to tell me that you're _repulsed_ by me?" spat Ginny. Her eyes were narrowed and her teeth were clenched. Her mouth and throat hurt so much but that meant nothing to her right now. She was on the couch while her other housemates were standing up surrounding her, as if this was some crazy inquisition. It was, actually. Harry couldn't help but notice the people creeping and hiding near the staircases that led to the dorms. They were eavesdropping.

"Ginny, _yes_ or no? Just tell me, yes or no. Did you or did you not push all the blame onto Hermione?" asked Harry. His voice was loud so it was impossible for anyone to _not_ to hear them arguing. But the prefect hadn't even done anything to stop the argument so he resumed.

He looked angry. He _was_ angry. He'd given up Luna because of this. Heck, he was made fool of because of this. _Hermione_ was made a fool of because of this. Ginny's precious stunt affected everyone. It was the reason for why Hermione was depressed – unfairly depressed. It was why she was ousted all this time. Fuck, Hermione was his best friend and she must have felt so betrayed. Harry bit his lip as he fidgeted with his red and yellow striped sweater and looked down at Ginny, who seemed so helpless and angry in her pink peasant top and black sweatpants. She was almost curled up into a little ball. Damn it, he nearly wanted to hug her but he was so mad that he'd probably end up throwing her in the fire if he laid a finger on her, as mildly amusing as that may have been; though Ron would've probably thought otherwise. He'd probably be expelled.

"Yes, but –"

"That's all I wanted to hear, Ginny."

"Surely, you s-said you felt –"

Her entire body was trembling as she tried to meet Harry's gaze again. His green eyes narrowed and seemed lifeless and lost, everything clouded over him like a red veil of anger. That's all he saw – _red_.

"I feel nothing for you anymore." His voice was flat.

Lavender's eyebrows shot up, wondering what they had been discussing earlier.

"Harry, please! Just listen! I did it for good reason," argued Ginny. Her eyes were watery and Harry had his back turned to her. His legs were twitching and he just wanted to break something so badly. There was fire in his eyes again – not from the fireplace, but from the anger that was erupting from inside of him. Ron looked horribly disappointed while Seamus looked embarrassed. They were probably speechless. Lavender merely raised her eyebrows. She'd definitely forward this to the gossip mill. Gossip spread _fast_ at Hogwarts. Students and their flapping tongues and chatter – it was a classic teenage thing to do.

"I don't even want to look at you anymore," murmured Harry. Ginny looked so desperate. She never meant for this to happen. He looked down at his feet as he turned around, glancing at Ron briefly when he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ginny, there's never a _good_ enough reason – you can't sell out a friend like that. You've lost our trust and lost a wonderful friend; Hermione!"

"I did this _for us_!" sputtered Ginny. This was beyond embarrassing. Crap, had Hermione seriously felt like that? Bloody Merlin, was she horrible.

"There's no 'us'," countered Harry, catching his breath as his voice returned to its normal volume. Ginny looked absolutely devastated as she ran her fingers through her messy red hair. She was an utter wreck.

The whole dramatic scene was interrupted by Lavender, who blinked twice and felt all the eyes on her, all the pressure.

"Wait you guys," murmured Lavender. Her sweet voice punctured the drama that filled the air. Anyone could have heard the gasps coming from the stairs. As much as Harry disliked eavesdroppers, he also wanted to end the conversation and get out of there. He felt horrible. They _all_ owed Hermione apologies for not believing her. But how could they if Ginny had held a promise against Hermione? Damn it, Hermione was too bloody obedient for her own good sometimes. She'd suffered in silence.

"Yeah, Lavender?" croaked Ron. Ginny looked at Lavender desperately, as if she'd be her saviour.

"If Hermione _hadn't_ been on the potion all this time, then where had she gone all the time and where did she get the necklace?" queried Lavender mysteriously. She shot looks at everyone in the room except for Ginny.

"As far as I know, the necklace was a gift," squeaked Ginny. Harry cut her off immediately.

"Uhh…she's been _gone_ all the time?" murmured Harry.

"Well, she's been sneaking around and coming back late," sighed Lavender. She truly was worried now. She felt guilt tug at her because of this. She'd wrongly accused Hermione and even made her suffer in envy from her relationship with Ron. Maybe she'd deal with that later. Right now, there was this issue and task at hand.

"Well, how could she come back when she's been ousted? Blimey! I'd be hiding too if I were her!" replied Ron hesitantly. He looked down at Ginny, who was just looking at the four older Gryffindor with an apologetic look. She knew that nothing she could say now could fix things. Well, time would eventually heal all wounds. But now that this was out – it would change everything.


	41. Intermissions

Tempt Me Vicious: by Mocktail

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing; these characters were created by J.K. Rowling. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support and reviews! Nothing really happens here, at all. Sorry. I've been horrible busy with everything and I haven't had much time to update or write. And if I am writing, then I'm usually procrastinating with this fiction and writing or thinking about my other one? Well, here it is anyways. Thanks for your patience._

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_CHAPTER 41: INTERMISSIONS

"Are you serious? It was Ginny all along?" asked Parvati Patil as she lay flat on her stomach beside Lavender Brown on her bed. The two of them were gossiping about what happened. They noticed that Hermione and Ginny were both away during dinner. Ginny was probably crying and Hermione was probably out somewhere but Lavender knew better than to suspect her of brewing potions and impersonating other students.

"Yeah, I was there during the interrogation. It was _crazy_," replied Lavender huskily.

"Well, _I_ was out with Dean," gushed Parvati. There was a dreamy look in her eyes for a moment. Dean and she had grown incredibly close. It all began with the two of them just _chatting_ a lot and then they'd developed feelings for each other. Lavender slapped her friend's hand lightly, making her gasp and rub it as if it'd been scalded.

"Don't you want to know what happened though?" queried Lavender. She couldn't have missed the fleeting look of disappointment cloud over Parvati's face. "You can tell me about Dean later."

Parvati nodded and placed a lock of her long hair behind her ear.

"But you know, I get the feeling that something happened in Ginny's dorm. Because Harry said that he felt nothing for her, when we were all in the common room," remarked Lavender flatly. Parvati's eyes narrowed as she tried to think of what must have happened.

"Well, I guess that explains why Ginny was on the potion then – because she fancies Harry," smiled Parvati.

"Obviously!" exclaimed Lavender. Parvati merely rolled her eyes playfully and watched as Crookshanks, like the gingery fur ball he was, crawl about the floor. She winced. Crookshanks was one _ugly_ cat – not even cute, thought Parvati. The pretty girl turned back to her chatty friend. "But I just feel really bad for Hermione because –"

At that moment, the dorm's door swung open.

"_Hi Hermione_!" exclaimed Parvati loudly. The two girls on Lavender's bed were frozen as they watched Hermione walk in. She had the blankest expression on her face. Her wavy hair was up in another one of her makeshift buns. One had to admit, she looked as if she was in a better mood today – less miserable. Hermione smiled at the two of them and prodded at her custard tart. She'd snuck into the kitchen as of fifteen minutes ago. She didn't really want to be seen by anyone anyways just in case everyone found out about her and Ginny. Thank Merlin that the professors didn't do anything about it. Besides, Hermione had already been punished with detention so it wouldn't have mattered to her either way.

"Hey Hermione?" queried Lavender sweetly. She rolled off her bed and looked hopefully at the pretty brunette that stood before her. She watched the girl nervously smoothen out the wrinkles in her outfit.

"Yes?" replied Hermione. She waited as Lavender picked at an invisible piece of lint on her lilac and white striped sweater.

She was going to apologize, decided Hermione. She made a mental note to thank Draco for this even though they weren't exactly on best terms. One could say that they were almost like acquaintances. But deep down inside, Hermione knew that a pureblood befriending a "mudblood", just didn't work too well. It was pretty sad because Hermione had grown to like Draco a fair bit. He was just lost.

"Umm, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for being a total cow towards you. I just didn't know my facts and –"

"It's fine, it's forgotten."

That wasn't _totally_ the truth though. She still thought she was a tart for playing dirty in the relationship game. But she was going to be mature and suck it up.

"Great, I just hope that everything will return to normal. Ginny's already taking it pretty hard from Ron," commented Lavender mutely. She didn't really know what else to say and though she would have loved to look for Ron right now and have Parvati leave and look for Dean, there was still drama lurking around and with this fresh piece of gossip on everyone's tongues, it'd be hard to get around properly for the next few days or so.

"Thank you, Lavender," grinned Hermione, not knowing what else to say.

-

"Draco, are you okay?" asked Daphne Greengrass. She looked all smug, prim and proper as she sat on the leathery black couch in the Slytherin common room. She held a violet square cushion to her chest as her younger sister Astoria placed a green one at Daphne's knee in which she sat on the floor and rested against it. Nobody could have missed the way these girls tried to show off their legs. Astoria wasn't even sitting properly and she was pretty much flashing the whole common room in her lacy red underwear.

"Fine," lied Draco. He was dressed in a fitted black t-shirt and loose fitting jeans. Pansy was absolutely jealous when Daphne took up the seat beside Draco. Their bodies weren't touching, but still – she was _that_ close to him without being shoved off.

"You're not fine. You're anything _but_. You haven't had a good lay in weeks," murmured Daphne with a smirk. She wasn't implying anything though. She too, slept around but she wouldn't have minded if Draco asked her for a favour. Heck, she'd volunteer to _entertain_ him.

"And how would you know?" replied Draco. He was in no mood for flirting. He sunk deeper into his seat and shot a pathetic look at Theodore. Theodore blinked his dark blue eyes and watched the conversation on the side while Pansy placed her hand on his knee. Oh for Merlin's sake…

"Draco, how's your chest?" asked Pansy, trying to sound as coquettish as possible. Theodore tried not to wince at her attempts.

"Fine," murmured Draco. He began to stand up and Astoria shot a look at him. He then opened his mouth. "I'm going to go back to my room."

Pansy's eyebrows knitted together and her glossy pink lips formed a pout. He was going back – _without_ a girl? This happened way too often and though she'd like to get to the bottom of this, it wasn't like Draco would ever let her come near him in the first place. She moved her hand off of Theodore's knee when he stood up as well. He relaxed when their contact had been broken. He was never entirely comfortable with her.

"I'm going to go as well," declared Theodore. He turned to everyone. "Goodnight."

"Wait!" yelled Pansy. Draco didn't bother to turn around but Theodore waited. All eyes were on her expectantly. "Are you too having like, some gay affair?"

Theodore's jaw dropped.

"Where the fuck did you get that idea?" queried Blaise Zabini, who finally spoke. He was on an armchair by himself in the corner of the room going through his notes. It wasn't a nerdy thing to do because he sure looked hot doing it. Everyone turned to him and Astoria gave him the flirtiest of smiles.

"Well, Draco hasn't bedded a girl in weeks and Theodore's been acting creepy lately," announced Pansy. She stood up with her nose in the air. Oh, how Draco wanted to smack her for that comment. Just because he hadn't bedded _her_ it didn't mean he was going gay. A smirk then spread across Draco's lips.

"I think I'd rather bed Theodore than bed you," he proclaimed rather rudely. From there, half the common room burst into mad laughter as Crabbe and Goyle patted Draco on the back, who just wore a disgusted expression on his face. Theodore looked absolutely gobsmacked and didn't know if he was complimenting him or not.

"Y-you!" snapped Pansy. She looked like she was going to cry. It was even funnier because she looked like she was having a competition with Daphne and Astoria to see who could have the shorter skirt. Evidently, Pansy had won out on that one because everyone could see what she was wearing underneath.

"Me _what_?" sneered Draco. He felt total hate for her at the moment. Hopefully after this, she'd get away from him for good. Then he could focus more on that Granger girl – oh damn, what the hell was he thinking? He shook that thought out of his head as he sauntered over to Pansy and looked down at her with the cruelest expression on his face.

"You're evil! Don't _ever_ speak to me again!" shouted Pansy. Her face was red and she was tearing up. She was growing really hysterical as well, which only amused the Slytherin even more. Millicent Bulstrode, one of Pansy's female cronies, stood behind her like a giant brick wall – physically, she resembled one too.

"Fine by me," smirked Draco. He turned around and left Pansy wailing out more curses at him. He ignored them all as Theodore followed him out of the common room, Pansy's voice gradually growing softer though she was probably drowning in her own pool of tears by now. Let her drown, thought Draco. He honestly couldn't care less.

The common room was rather dark; the candles and torches were virtually non-existent and Draco sometimes wondered how the Gryffindor common room would be. It was probably warm and happy, he thought. He was sort of lacking in that area. Sure, the Slytherin common room looked grand and everything, but it sort of reminded him of a haunted house; a really well-furnished haunted house with girls that would throw curses at him. He smirked to himself again as he lay on his bed, letting the silky green sheets touch his body as he closed his eyes.

"Theo, did you want to talk to me?" queried Draco. He sounded bored.

"Yeah, I was actually going to ask you something about Granger. I saw you two today. You left the library and then she left the library five minutes later. I don't know what you did, but she looked really… distant with something," winced Theodore. He lay on his bed and stared up at the ceiling as he pushed some of his dark hair out of his eyes. He couldn't find a better word to use, but he could almost hear Draco's brain ticking. Ah, so he knew, didn't he?

"Oh," said Draco silently. His eyes remained closed as he saw an image of Hermione smiling and kissing him. He actually daydreamed about it once, which was supposed to disgust him. A filthy mudblood! She was supposed to be scum. It was all Blaise's fault and the stupid bet, he decided. He then opened his eyes as his eyebrows furrowed. "Hey, have you been following us around or something?"

Theodore tried to sound cool and calm.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."

"Right, well, next time, don't follow us, okay?"

"Scared I'll walk in on you guys while you're making out?"

Draco smirked and scoffed.

"Definitely," he lied. As much as he liked Theodore, he wasn't exactly ready to tell him that he and Hermione had their own conversations. How awkward would it have been to tell someone that you had heart to heart conversations with someone you're supposed to shag by Christmas? Yeah, most of the time he wished that the bet hadn't existed because Hermione wasn't that bad at all – she just confused him a whole lot. She wasn't as flirty as Pansy and Daphne, not as bitchy as Ginny and not as ugly as Millicent.

"You're not serious about this bet, are you?" croaked Theodore. His voice went deep all of a sudden. "It's really…cruel. She'll never get over something like that."

Sometimes Draco wondered if Theodore would ever hook up with someone like Hermione. Probably in another world, he decided. They'd probably have like six pretty pudgy babies that loved to read books and creep around.

"Just stay out of it, Theo. I know what I'm doing," murmured Draco.

It was a lie, and the two of them knew it. Heck, he didn't even know what he was _thinking_.


End file.
